The plan by the Federal Government to spend about N400 billion (about $1.05bn) to vaccinate 70 percent of Nigeria’s 211 million population and the extension of the synchronisation of SIM cards with the National Identity Number to January and February 2021 are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Vanguard reports that the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said that the Federal Government needs about N400 billion to vaccinate 70 percent of Nigeria’s 211 million population: N156 billion will be needed in 2021, N200 billion in 2022.
Dr. Ehanire made this known on Monday in Abuja, while briefing the Senate leadership on the Federal Government plans to procure COVID-19 vaccines for citizens, adding that the government was substantially ready for a successful COVID-19 vaccination to save lives of the citizens.
He also told the Senate that the country, which had successfully fought polio, would use the same storage facilities (cold chains) to store the COVID-19 vaccines, urging the Senate to have confidence in the plan for COVID-19 vaccine campaign.
According to Ehanire, about N400 billion would be required to vaccinate 70 percent of Nigeria’s 211 million population at eight dollars per person. “N156 billion will be needed in 2021, while N200 billion in 2022.”
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, expressed doubt over the ability of the Ministry of Health to effectively store and distribute the COVID-19 vaccines, when they arrive in the country.
The newspaper says that the Federal Government, yesterday, extended the synchronisation of SIM cards with the National Identity Number (NIN) to January and February 2021 for different categories of subscribers respectively.
A statement by the National Task Force on NIN and SIM registration, indicated that the Federal Government approved three weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.
It also extended by six weeks for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.
The extension, according to the Task Force was to save Nigerians from the hassle of the earlier time frame.
The Guardian reports that Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State in northern Nigeria has indicted that the Nigerian army and police over insecurity to life and property in the state.
The indictment was triggered by the multiple attacks and kidnap of 35 people by Boko Haram last Friday.
Over 100 lives were lost and properties destroyed in Auno and Jakana, 20 and 40 kilometres respectively from Maiduguri, the state capital, as bandits attacked the two towns between 2014 and 2019.
Speaking yesterday at Jakana, where 10 people were killed and a Dangote truck torched alongside three other vehicles, Zulum said: “It is very disheartening and embarrassing to note that innocent commuters are being constantly killed and kidnapped along the Maiduguri/Kano road, particularly the 132-kilometre Maiduguri/Damaturu road. It is also annoying to note that those atrocities are committed between Jakana and Auno villages, a distance of only 20 kilometres from the capital.
“Surprisingly, we have a Brigade Commander with his team in Jakana. There is also a commanding officer with his battalion in Auno.”
According to him, the security agencies have failed to protect the citizens.
The Punch says that the National Assembly on Monday passed the 2021 Appropriation Bill, raising the total estimates from the proposed N13.08tn to N13,588,027,886,175, an increase of over N500bn.
The President had on October 8, 2020, laid the money bill before a joint session of the National Assembly. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on Appropriations had laid a harmonised report in the respective chambers as the National Assembly held special sessions mainly to pass the national budget ahead of the Christmas and New Year break.
Out of the total sum of N13.59tn for 2021, N496.53bn is for statutory transfers; N3.32tn is for debt service; N5.64tn is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure; while the sum of N4.13tn is for capital expenditure.
While statutory transfers totalling N496.53bn were approved, it was observed that the N125bn proposed for the National Assembly and its affiliates had been raised by N8.99bn, putting the new total estimates at N133.99bn.
The newspaper reports that the rising number of countries gradually shifting from fossil fuels and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles may pose a major threat to Nigeria’s crude oil exports.
Sales of electric cars topped 2.1 million globally in 2019, surpassing 2018 – already a record year – to boost the stock to 7.2 million electric cars, with China leading the charge, according to the International Energy Agency.
It said nine countries had more than 100,000 electric cars on the road while at least 20 countries reached market shares above one per cent.
“In 2019, electric vehicles in operation globally avoided the consumption of almost 0.6 million barrels of oil products per day,” the IEA said.
The demand for crude oil is expected to continue to decline following the surging sales in electric vehicles in Asia and Europe.
The Sun says that depositors of recently closed 42 Microfinance Banks (MFBs), got some good news yesterday as the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced a verification exercise towards settling their outstanding claims.
The action signals the formal closure of the MFBs, whose operating licences were recently revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The Director, Claims Resolution Department of the Corporation, Mrs. Nurat Ajigbewu, who made the disclosure in a statement noted that the CBN revoked the operating licences of the failed MFBs with effect from Thursday November 12, 2020.
“Consequently, the Corporation as the official liquidator of the banks commenced the process of closure and payment of insured sums to verified depositors of the banks.
“In carrying out this mandate, the Corporation has requested all depositors of the closed banks to visit the respective banks’ addresses from Monday 21st – Thursday 24th December, 2020 where NDIC officials would be on ground to verify their claims,” she stated.
GIK/APA