Coronavirus Pandemic: Nigeria Closes Doors On People Coming From US, UK, France, Others

March 18, 2020

The Federal Government of Nigeria has closed it’s doors on 13 high-risk Coronavirus countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy and China.

Briefing newsmen today, March 18 in Abuja, health minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire also named the countries with high burden of coronavirus that are included in the travel ban as Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany and Norway as well as Netherlands and Switzerland.

The minister said that the ban would take effect from Friday, March 20 and last for four weeks subject to review.

The government also announced the temporary suspension of all visas issued to nationals from these countries.

Meanwhile five new cases of coronavirus has been confirmed in Lagos state today, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to eight.

three of the five cases arrived from the United States, while two arrived from the United Kingdom.

Detailed information is still being obtained but based on the available information, two of the three travelers from the USA are Nigerian (a mother and her six weeks old baby, the youngest corona virus patient we have) and the third is an American National who crossed the land border as a biker.

Yesterday, the Government of Nigeria held the inaugural meeting of a Presidential Task Force that constitutes nine Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. WHO is a member of the Task Force.

The Task Force issued the following:

1. Travel restrictions on entry into the country for travelers from 13 high risk countries (China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, USA, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland).

2. Temporary suspension on all visas issued to nationals from these countries.

3. Prohibition of international travel by public servants.

4. Travel advisory to the public against non-essential travel to high burden countries.

5. Firm self-isolation for 14 days for all persons returning from abroad.

Nigeria Announces Five New Cases Of Coronavirus

Editorial staff

March 18, 2020

The Federal Ministry of Health has announced five new cases of coronavirus bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to eight.

According to the statemet, all the five new cases had a travel history to the United Kingdom and the United States, The PUNCH reports.

Three of the new cases arrived from the US while the other two arrived from the UK.

Four of the cases were Nigerians including a six-week-old baby while the fifth was a foreign national who came in through the land border.

This is the first recorded case of the infection through Nigeria’s land borders.

Details later…

I’m Prepared To Change My Style Of Leadership To Get Along With Others – Oshiomhole

Editorial staff

March 17, 2020

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole | Photo credit: Premium Times

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has promised to change his leadership style so as to get along with other leaders of the party.
Speaking today,March 17 at the opening of the party’s National Working Committee meeting in Abuja, Oshiomhole said that he would reconcile his style of leadership with that of other members of the party so that they can work together.
The APC strong man dmitted that he is not a perfect being but that his sincerity of purpose cannot be denied.
Oshiomhole insisted that conflict is natural in a party of the APC size, even as he claimed that the APC is united and not divided.
According to Oshiomhole, parties that are pro-people usually have more challenges than conservative parties.
He thanked the judiciary for overturning the high court ruling saying internal differences will be settled internally.

Coronavirus Scare:Nigerian Bans Civil Servants From Foreign Trips

Editorial staff

March 17, 2020

Nigeria’s Federal Government has banned all government officials from embarking on foreign trips as the world continues to battle to COVID-19 disease.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made the declaration on Tuesday after the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Task Force Team on the COVID-19.
He advised Nigerians coming in from outside the country to self-isolate themselves for 14 days.
Details later…

Coronavirus: Saudi Bans Jum’at, Other Congregational Prayers

Editorial staff

March 17, 2020

Saudi Arabia has banned all forms of congregational prayers, including Friday (Jum’at) in Mosques across the country as one of the measures to control coronavirus.

Report reaching us indicated that Senior Ulema Council of Saudi Arabia, made up of Islamic scholars of highest order, issued the Fatwa (pronouncement) today, March 17, directing all Mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be closed, including Friday Prayers except for calling for Adhan.

“Muadhins are directed to call Pray at your homes.

“Haramain Sharifain to remain open as per protocols issued.”

Fall In Oil Price: Economic Experts Advise Buhari To Revise 2020 Budget

Editorial staff

March 17, 2020

A team put together by President Muhammadu Buhari to advise him on how to run the nation’s economy has advised him to revise the 2020 budget in the face of the recent fall in oil price across the globe.

Briefing the President today after extensive work, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), led by Professor Doyin Salami, said that the budget needed to be revised with priority spending on healthcare, reprioritization of expenditure on

infrastructure to focus on projects nearing completion with pro-poor effects.

The revised budget, the team said, should also aim at curtailing recurrent expenditure, mobilizing the private sector to strengthen health sector infrastructure, and boosting government revenue.

The PEAC team stressed that the projections may seem dire, but the worst may be avoided with hard work and scrupulous implementation of policies.

Professor Salami, who briefed the President on behalf of the team, painted sobering scenarios of what could happen to the Nigerian economy if the Covid-19 pandemic lasted for too long.

He said that the prolonged pandemic could lead to, among other things, slower growth, as the supply and demand sides of global economy would be affected, uncertainty, which would erode confidence, governments acting unilaterally instead of cooperatively, further drop in oil prices, and lockdowns gaining grounds around the world.

According to the team, there would also be oil glut, trade imbalance, drop in foreign reserves and rise in unemployment.

It said that many countries around the world risk going into economic recession, even as it advocated hard work for Nigeria to keep its head above the waters.

This was even as President Buhari indicated that the fall in oil price did not surprise him.

He said that he had foreseen the economic problems that may come in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and is ready to explore all alternatives to protect Nigerians.

President Buhari has said that with oil prices oscillating between 29 and 30 dollars in recent times, as opposed to the 57 dollars benchmark for year 2020 Budget, many variables, including production cost and political impact, determine oil prices, “and we will see how to survive fallen prices, as we already envisaged the problem.”

He emphasized that protecting the people from vagaries of international economic fortunes, and associated fallen prices of oil, is a priority of government, “and we will do our best to do so.”

The President stressed the importance of education and healthcare, saying that if people are adequately educated, “they won’t accept any form of mismanagement by leadership, nor would they allow themselves to be manipulated by those promoting ethnic and religious sentiments.”

He promised that inputs in agriculture, education and healthcare would continue as much as practicable.

At Last, China Discovers Favipiravir, Influenza Drug, As Corononaviru Cure

Editorial staff

March 17, 2020

China has announced that Favipiravir, influenza drug which was approved for clinical use in Japan in 2014, can cure the currently raging coronavirus.

Information reaching us indicated that China has already completed the clinical research of Favipiravir, an antiviral drug that has shown good clinical efficacy against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to the Chinese government official, in a statement today, March 17, Favipiravir, the influenza drug which was approved for clinical use in Japan in 2014, shows no obvious adverse reactions in the clinical trial.

The statement was issued to journalists by Zhang Xinmin, director of the China National Center for Biotechnology Development under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It was made known that more than 80 patients have participated in the clinical trial in The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, including 35 patients taking Favipiravir and 45 patients on a control group.

Results are believed to show that patients receiving Favipiravir treatment turned negative for the virus in a shorter time compared with patients in the control group.

A multi-centered randomized clinical study led by the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University also suggested that the therapeutic effect of Favipiravir is much better than that of the control group.

Favipiravir has been recommended to medical treatment teams and should be included in the diagnosis and treatment plan for COVID-19 as soon as possible, Zhang said.

A Chinese pharmaceutical company has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration to mass-produce the drug and ensure stable supply, Zhang added.

Source: Xinhua

Nigeria: Science, Technology Sector Has Created 900,000 Jobs So Far – Minister

Editorial staff

March 16, 2020

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu has said that in the last six months of the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sector has helped to create over 900,000 jobs.

He said that this was even as data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria saved over N1 trillion in the importation of raw materials in both 2017 and 2018.

The minister made this known today, March 16, at the opening of the 2020 Science, Technology and Innovation Expo with the theme: ”Enhancing The Growth Of A Diversified Economy Through Science And Technology.”

The minister, who said that data for 2019 is yet to be released, said that patents from scientists and engineers, who passed through the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, have continued to increase.

”In 2015, the first year of the Buhari administration, it was only six. In 2016; it was 16, 50 in 2017, 55 in 2018 and 57 in 2019.”

Ogbonnaya Onu said that the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis across the globe is a wake-up call to Nigeria to intensify efforts to manufacture goods locally and patronize made-in-Nigeria products.

“The Presidential Executive Order No. 5 and the National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Product Development in the country already passed by the Federal Executive Council will help in realizing this noble objective.”

The minister commended President Buhari for the many efforts he has made to promote STI, including making the sector the centre of all economic activities under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has granted full scholarship up to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree level to three secondary students who emerged winners at the year 2020 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award Competition.

The scholarship is in any science-related discipline of their choice at any university in the country.

The President commended the creativity and competitive spirit of the three young scientists who emerged tops in the competition tagged 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award (774 YONSPA).

The students are Masters Akintade Abdullahi Akanbi of Osun State from Osogbo Government High School Osogbo, Osun State, who came first; while the second positions went to Uwakwe Nelson Kamsiyochukwu of Anambra State from British Spring College, Awka and Aimofumhe Eshiobomhe Sigmus of FCT from the School of the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Abuja, respectively.

President Buhari noted that Nigeria’s greatest resource is its human capital, assuring that his administration would continue to support human resource development.

“This is richly embodied in our youth who make up tens of millions of incredibly talented persons, constantly pushing and striving towards greatness. The future of Nigeria belongs to our youth.

“This Administration will therefore continue to create the enabling environment for them to develop to the fullest, their potentials.

“We will harness their energy and their talents to make Nigeria achieve true greatness.”

The President reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to partner with the private sector on science, technology and innovation sector development towards ensuring that the sector plays the very important role in advancing the frontiers of knowledge for nation building.

“Government will continually support the creation of intervention funds to strengthen research and development, human capacity building programmes and collaboration with the organized private sector.

“We will continue to work towards the realisation of the National Research and Innovation Fund. I am aware, this Fund will help promote research activities in our country.”

The President directed the minister of science and technology to create the needed opportunities to ensure that Nigerian scientists work towards providing solutions to the nation’s challenges of insecurity, unemployment, poverty, healthcare delivery and power, among others.

The President said that if Nigerian potentials in the Science and Technology Sector are properly harnessed, with the enabling environment created, 100 million Nigerians will be taken out of poverty in the next ten years.

“This remains my aim for Nigerians,” he stressed, noting that Nigerians at home and abroad have always demonstrated remarkable ingenuity and inventiveness and with the right environment, and policy framework, there is no limit to how far Nigerian innovation can go.

“A prime example of an outstanding Nigerian is Mal. Jelani Aliyu, who is now Director-General of the National Automatic Design and Development Council.

“Malam Jelani designed the General Motors of America’s leading auto brand the Chevrolet Volt. Now he is assuring Nigerians that all the cars that took part in Argungu Motor Rally were assembled in Nigeria.”

JAMB Releases UTME Results Of 312,000 Candidates

Editorial staff

March 16, 2020

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released results of the 312,000 candidates that sat for Saturday, March14, 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) nationwide.Head of Media and Information of the Board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who disclosed this in an interview today, March 16, in Lagos, advised all concerned candidates to check their profiles for the results.According to him, the board is optimistic that the entire exercise will be hitch-free, as it has worked assiduously to ensure that this year’s examination process will be one of the best ever conducted in recent times.“I want to say that the Board is happy with the conduct of the examination on its first day, Saturday, March 14.“This is not to say that we did not register one or two technical hitches.“There is no way anyone can embark on such massive exercise without a few hitches.“However, the good thing is that, as soon as our attention is drawn to such hitches, we tackle them immediately.“So, the Board is fully on ground to take on these hitches as they come, but in all, I must tell you, that we are happy with the conduct of the examination so far,’’ he said.Benjamin assured that the Board would continue to ensure quality service delivery in a bid to give every deserving candidate an opportunity to excel.In continuation of the exercise, a total of 469, 670 candidates on Monday sat for the examination in various centres across the country.
The JAMB Head of Media and Information said by Tuesday, March 17, such candidates’ results would also be ready. Source: NAN.

APC Govs Get Buhari’s Support For NEC Postponement

Greenbarge Reporters

March 16, 2020

Governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have secured the support of President Muhammadu Buhari for the postponement of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting originally scheduled for tomorrow, March 17.

Speaking to news men shortly after a meeting with the President today, March 16, chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu, said that the President was happy to support the postponement.
Bagudu, who is the governor of Kebbi State said that the governors had earlier resolved to,among others, postpone the NEC meeting indefinitely.

“The Progressive governors have resolved to work together and find solutions to all the contending issues in the interest of the party.
“And also we seek Mr. President support to postpone the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that is schedule for tomorrow until such a time that the governor’s are ready to report back. And he is so happy that we all agreed to that.”

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