The new directive by the Nigerian Government that all employers and employees in public, private, and informal sectors should have access to health insurance is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Monday.
The Punch reports that the Federal Government has mandated all employers and employees in public, private, and informal sectors to have access to health insurance.
This development came when the Federal Government noted that only states with established health insurance schemes and contributory schemes would benefit from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
The PUNCH reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, signed the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2021 last week.
The newly signed law by the President repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004.
Under the previous Act, states were required to pay a 50 percent counterpart fund to access the total fund for the BHCPF.
The PUNCH reports that Buhari’s signing of the new Act is part of the moves by the FG to ensure that Nigeria achieves Universal Health Coverage, a Sustainable Development Goal by 2030.
Section 13, subsection 8 of the newly signed Act, provided that
“Every state that has established a State Health Insurance or Contributory Scheme and complies with this Act’s requirements shall be eligible to participate in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund as established under the National Health Act and its guidelines.”
The newspaper says that an analysis of data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that Nigerians spent at least $220.86 million on foreign education between December 2021 and February 2022.
This is according to the CBN data on the amount spent on educational service under the sectoral utilisation for transactions valid for foreign exchange for December 2021 to February 2022.
In December 2021, the apex bank stated that it spent $90.67m on foreign education.
The CBN also noted that in January 2022, a total of $60,202,730.84 was spent on foreign education, while noting that $69.9m was spent in February 2022.
Though, the bank has not updated the amount spent in March, April and May, it noted that the amount it indicated in December 2021 and January 2022 might be subject to change in future
The PUNCH reports that education in Nigeria most especially in the tertiary education sector has mostly been marred by industrial actions by tertiary institution-based unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics.
Currently, academic activities in Nigerian universities and polytechnics are grounded on issues bordering on lecturers’ welfare.
The Guardian reports that ahead of its 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) starting at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana, today, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said the Bank is committed to mobilising $25 billion in funding to help African countries adapt to climate change.
The bank, at unveiling of programmes of the AGM, which focus on ‘Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa’, described climate change as a make-or-mar moment for the continent, saying adaptation is the operating word.
Tweeting on its scorecard, yesterday, Adesina said the regional bank was negotiating global partnerships to help African countries adapt to the vagaries of climate change.
“To help Africa adapt to climate change, the bank is partnering globally. Together with the Global Centre on Adaptation, with former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, we are mobilising $25 billion in support of Africa,” he tweeted.
The President also said the bank “is raising $5 billion for women businesses” with the support of President Emmanuel Macron and G-7, through AfDB’s Affirmative Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).
In 2021, the bank paid out $483 million to financial institutions to lend to women businesses while it hopes to raise the financing threshold for women entrepreneurs to $500 million this year.
The newspaper says that amid the seeming inability of the Federal Government to fully deregulate the downstream segment of the petroleum industry, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), yesterday, revealed that six new regulations were being planned to ensure clarity, improve processes and ease of doing business in the sector.
Consistent with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Farouk Ahmed, who made the disclosure during a meeting with members of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) in Abuja, said the guidelines are Gas Pricing, Environmental Management Plan, Environmental Remediation Fund, Decommissioning and Abandonment, Gas Infrastructure Fund and Natural Gas Pipeline Tariff.
According to him, a Working Team, chaired by Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage & Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Ogbugo Ukoha, would review the draft regulations, engage and consult stakeholders for smooth implementation.
This is coming at a time when the government is still retaining price control that is making the country to spend N4 trillion on Premium Motor Spirit (popularly known as petrol) subsidy in 2022 alone.
Ahmed explained: “One of our key concerns is boosting local refining. Dangote and BUA refineries are coming on board. However, we want to see more companies investing in refineries so we can stop importation of refined petroleum products, save our foreign earnings, create jobs and add value to the economy.”
He commended the gradual growth of indigenous players in local exploration and production of petroleum products. Earlier, IPPG Chairman, Abdulrazaq Isa, his group was an association of 25 indigenous Exploration and Production (E&P) companies with the vision to promote the continued development of the Nigerian petroleum industry for the benefit of industry stakeholders and the nation.
He said timely communication with industry players was important at this time that the sector is going through transition.
The Sun reports that the U.S. Consulate General, at the weekend, launched the third cohort of the Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy’s Fashion Entrepreneurship Programme for 30 emerging fashion designers in the Niger Delta region as part of its commitment to bolster sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.
Delivering remarks at the opening of the workshop, which was held at the American Corner in Port Harcourt, U.S. Consulate Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Jennifer Foltz, highlighted the role of entrepreneurship as the key driver of sustainable economic growth.
Foltz explained that the goal of the U.S. Consulate-supported capacity building workshop was to provide participants with the requisite business management skills to start, scale, and sustain viable fashion businesses.
“Fashion is a multibillion-dollar industry and a huge contributor to the global economy, creating jobs and economic prosperity,” Foltz said.
“Nigeria’s unique and innovative fashion designs are making waves in the United States and our goal with this fashion entrepreneurship workshop is to provide the participants with the knowledge, networks, mentors, and access they need to launch and scale successful fashion businesses.”
Programme implementing partner and CEO of Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy, Omowale Ogunrinde, encouraged the participants to direct their passion, imagination, skills, and ingenuity toward making a mark on the Nigerian fashion industry.
“Succeeding in the fashion industry takes a lot more than passion and creativity. You have to be able to think like an entrepreneur. Through the support of the U.S. Consulate, we are empowering emerging fashion designers to not only thrive in Nigeria’s fashion industry but also to prepare for the global fashion marketplace,” Ogunrinde, an alumna of the U.S. government-sponsored International Visitors Leadership Programme,” said.
GIK/APA