National News
8 states submit EndSARS judicial panel’s reports to NEC, Lagos to wrap up in October
All 28 States that established Judicial Panels following the EndSARS protests last year have now completed the assignment, except Lagos State’s panel which will conclude later this year in October.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, made the disclosure today at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, adding that 8 States have turned in their reports and Council looks forward to discussing them in full at its next meeting as more States are expected to make their submissions as well.
This was among resolutions reached at the end of the Council’s 119th meeting (8th in 2021), held virtually and presided over by the Vice President, with State governors, federal ministers, and other senior government officials in attendance.
Speaking on the consideration of the panel reports, Prof. Osinbajo said already the 8 States: Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, and Rivers, have submitted reports of their respective panels, while Lagos State has also submitted an interim report.
Some other highlights at today’s NEC meeting:
National Economic Council (NEC) meeting 119th (8th in 2021)
Financial updates:
1. Excess Crude Account (ECA) balance as at 13th July 2021 stands at $60, 855,153.31
2. Stabilization account balance as at 13th July, 2021 stands at N30,757,901,458.81
3. Development of natural resources account balance as at 13th July, 2021 stands at N33,891,412,441.85
Presentation On At-Risk Children (& Youth) Programme By Special Adviser, Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais
The Memo was to acquaint Council that the mission was to facilitate programmes that will ensure the integration of at-risk children and young adults by creating opportunities for skills and empowerment to reduce their vulnerabilities.
Key Partners are Federal Ministry of Education; State Governments; UBEC/SUBEBs; Relevant Federal MDAs, SDG Office, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNODC, AfDB; IsDB and the Private Sector.
Goals
- Standard 1-A Purposeful Educational and Empowerment Model
- Standard 2- Quality Citizens
- Standard 3-Build and Institutionalize Learning Capacity
- Stakeholder Strategy
Caregivers being paid cash transfers based on their regular attendance at the PHCs nearest to them, where they would be availed nutrition education and also general information to improve hygiene, sanitation and the well-being of their families and environment. There is an identified need to incentivise the mothers through the cash transfers (which would include awareness), to thereby support their offspring to remain in the CHs, through the transfers and the training sections.
Encouraging the resumption in formal schools for those who are able and willing to remain in primary school. For the youth who are trained in vocations and skills and who demonstrate an interest in setting up MSMEs, the formation of cooperatives, phased payment of stipends and the distribution of tools and equipment to facilitate their being engaged in productive activities, under the mentorship of designated Facilitators, CBOs &community members. Clustering or forming cooperatives for the youth who have an interest in starting a business (post-CH) to facilitate teamwork and the possibility of them engaging in activities to facilitate a better appreciation of the benefits of staying the course to actualise the benefits of starting a small business.
Next Steps
- Program Kick-Off, Engaging States, Scoping &Forging Local Alliances &Building capacity at State level.
- Governance Strategy/ Implement Short term plans Implement Mid-Term Plans
- Hand over Coordination Platform to States/ NEC as Long-Term Plan
Council Received Memo From National Agency For Science And Engineering Infrastructure (NANSENI) Presented By Engr. Prof. M. S. Haruna, Fnse, Agency’s Chief Executive.
The operational mandate of NASENI is in the areas of capital goods research and production through the development of local capacity and capability for machine building and fabrication. The agency is strategically established to produce relevant technologies, set up industries pilot plants to stimulate knowledge-based entrepreneurship for indigenous socio-economic advancement of Nigeria using applied research for science, technology, and innovation.
Some examples:
• Establishment of a 7.5mw panel manufacturing plant at karshi, FCT for solar electricity generation
• The factory is a limited liability company (NASENI SOLAR ENERGY LIMITED) with the IGR Paid into Consolidated Revenue Account.
• Also NASENI Solar Modules are in commercial supplies in our markets
NASENI’S approach in the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCR Administration is to enable local ownership job creation, technology, advancement and sustainable industrial revolution through bridging technology gaps for Economic Diversification.
NASENI can coordinate the proliferation of technologies developed either within or outside of its Development institutes. Technologies so developed in the areas of spares components and systems engineering are to be transferred to Entrepreneurs and SMEs for the production of goods and servers for rapid technology development.
Conclusion
Following President Muhamadu Buhari’s approval of the implementation of remittance of 1% of the federation account as contained in the establishment Act as NASENI Statutory fund, NEC also concurred and endorsed.
Presentation of progress report of the NEC Ad-hoc committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to ease the lockdown of the economy by the governor of Lagos state
• Lagos State Governor on behalf the Governor of Delta State informed Council about the new vaccination drive moving on further to seven States by yesterday 25th August 2021;
• By the end of September Federal Government will get a reasonable amount of vaccine from the 30 million dose;
• The Ad-Hoc committee interfacing with the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 is to work hand in hand with the staff of National Primary Health Care in administering the vaccine
• In Lagos the No. of Covid-19 cases rose last week
• As at yesterday positivity rate rose from 10 to 10 .5%
• States to ensure that mandatory isolation is observed
• There is an increase in the usage of oxygen
State performance report on COVID-19 by the Director-General, National Center for Disease Control
No of Cases = 187,023
No of Cases tested = 2,727,834
Active Cases = 16,300
Discharged Cases = 168,455
Number of Deaths = 2,268
Council was informed on global information on Covid -19 as at 22nd August 2021 as follows:
• African Situation at 23rd August 2021 over 5.4million confirmed cases and over 130,000 deaths due to Covid -19
• Increase in cases for 8 consecutive weeks
• Testing is more in Lagos than any other State
• Lagos contributes the highest case load
• Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, FCT, and Kwara has the most cases in the last four(4) weeks
• The Delta variants has remained the dominant variant in the country recently and is now present in 8 States
Update on cholera
Suspected No of Cases =47,603
NO. States with Cholera = 23+FCT
No of confirmed cases = 427
Number of Deaths = 1,768
• State which have reported suspected cases in 2021 are: Benue, Delta, Zafara, Gombe, Kogi, Sokoto, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nassarawa, Jigawa,Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Adamawa, Kastina and Borno;
• Rapid response deployed to Bauchi, Benue, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina;
• Minister of Health advised the public to boil drinking water
• Water purifier to be distributed to high burden states
