News

FG, UNICEF urge broadcasters to allow children participate in broadcast programmes

Published

1 year ago

March 1, 2023

The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the United Nations Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF) have urged broadcasters to allow children to participate in the 2023 edition of the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB).

They made the call in a joint statement on Wednesday in Abuja ahead of the ICDB celebration on Sunday.

According to the statement signed by Mr Geoffrey Njoku of UNICEF and Ms Mercy Megwa of Ministry of Information and Culture, the 2023 celebration is themed ”More Money for Primary Education”.

They urged the children to use the day to produce documentaries that highlight the plight of children in Nigeria.

“In Nigeria, primary education is officially free and compulsory but 18 million of the country’s children aged between five and 14 years are not in school.

“Only 61 per cent of six to 11 year olds regularly attend primary school.

“Adequate funding of primary education will create an enabling environment for increased demand for qualitative education which is the bedrock of enhanced knowledge, improved behaviour and personal growth of the children,” the statement said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ICDB was launched by UNICEF in 1991 to encourage broadcasters worldwide to create awareness on children’s issues.

Celebrated every first sunday in March, it is a day broadcasters allow children to be part of the programming process, to talk about their hopes, dreams and exchange ideas with their peers on issues affecting them.

News

Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra

Published

13 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Fellow Press

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.

The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.

He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.

“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.

“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.

“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.

“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.

While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.

He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.

News

LASG’s maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair

Published

13 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.

Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.

“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.

“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.

He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.

According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.

“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.

“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.

“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.

He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.

“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.

“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.

He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.

“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.