The call by Nigerian leader for international support against some of the major threats such as terrorism, insurgency, displacement of persons, and climate change as the growing challenges pose real threat to human existence is one of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
ThisDay reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has again rallied the international support against some of the major threats such as terrorism, insurgency, displacement of persons, and climate change, reiterating that the growing challenges pose real threat to human existence.
He has also described Nigeria as a peaceful nation like Gambia, South Korea, Slovak, Australia, Bagladesh and Guinea Bissau.Speaking yesterday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving letters of credence from the envoys of the six countries, President Buhari identified peace as another common thing among the seven countries apart from the fraternal relations between Nigeria and the nations.
He said: “In addition to the fraternal relations between us, the one thing Nigeria has in common with your countries is peace. Peace is priceless, desirable and crucial to sustainable development and achieving the targets set by the UN global initiatives.
“It is therefore imperative for us to work individually and bilaterally for sustainable peace. Achieving global peace is vital to attaining food security. Peace and food security should be pursued simultaneously.”
The Vanguard says that Nigeria’s vaccination programme encountered a hitch on Thursday as India suspended all major exports of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, SII.
The suspension by India came as the European Union met on Thursday to consider giving member states greater scope to block vaccines being exported outside the bloc, much of which is struggling to bring infections down and ramp up immunisation campaigns.
It is not known how long the suspension will last, but health watchers say the development is likely to delay the delivery of the nation’s 2nd batch of vaccine supplies expected around the end of March and early April.
The suspension could also delay supplies to other African countries as well as several low and middle-income countries that are relying on India’s production and supply of Covishield, its own version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured under licence from AstraZeneca of the UK.
The Guardian reports that despite the general slump in the Year 2020 air cargo movement, Nigerian export has recorded a marginal growth with food and perishable items accounting for 50 percent of new uptake.
Air cargo data obtained from major players in local aviation showed that exports are steadily on the upward movement, though imports declined as the COVID-19 pandemic burned fiercely.
The Guardian learned that the development is not unconnected with the growing penchant among Nigerians to export packaged local goods in exchange for scarce foreign currency – a more lucrative alternative to passenger traffic and tourism that have been crippled by a coronavirus.
Besides, local exporting is further encouraged by global airlines’ scramble for available cargo to cushion the loss of passenger traffic.
Though local airlines are not left out in the dynamics of market inventories, some of the scheduled carriers are having a big struggle readjusting passenger fleet to cargo services.
The Punch says that the Group General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, on Thursday said the Federal Government subsidises Premium Motor Spirit with about N120bn ($263.25m) monthly.
He said while the actual cost of importation and handling charges amounts to N234 per litre the government had been selling at N162 per litre therefore bearing the difference. Kyari spoke at the weekly ministerial briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the NNPC could no longer afford to bear the cost, saying Nigerians would have to pay the actual cost sooner or later.
He argued that market forces must be allowed to determine the pump price of petrol in the country. Although he claimed the nation was not in a subsidy regime, he said the government was trying to exit what he described as ‘under-price sale of PMS’.
He said, “Today, NNPC is the sole importer of PMS. We are importing at market price and we are selling at N162 per litre today. “Looking at the current market situation today, the actual price could have been anywhere between N211 and around N234 per litre.
The Sun reports that a recent report released by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), has warned that acute hunger is set to soar in Nigeria and 20 countries in coming months of 2021 owing to conflicts or other forms of violence which shall leave affected countries in dire economic shock.
Speaking on the impending ugly situation, in a joint statement released by both UN’s organisation, the FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu, said, “The magnitude of suffering at the moment is alarming. It is incumbent upon all of us to act now and fast to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and prevent the worst situation.”
He noted that in many regions, the planting season has just started or about to start, urging, “We must run ahead of the clock and cease this opportunity to protect, stabilise and even possibly increase local food production slip away.”
On his part, WFP Executive Director David Beasley, said, “We are seeing a catastrophe unfold before our very eyes. Famine – driven by conflict, fueled by climate shocks and the COVID-19 hunger pandemic – is knocking on the door for millions of families.
The newspaper says that President Muhammadu Buhari, has said developments in the Nigerian fertiliser value chain is moving the country to becoming a regional and global fertiliser powerhouse and has advised investors to look beyond short-term gains to enable them realise the immense economic and social gains available for themselves and the country.
Speaking during a virtual briefing on the progress of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative by the President of Fertiliser Producers and uppliers Association of Nigeria Mr. Thomas Etuh,
Buhari appreciated the investments that have been made by Nigerians in the fertiliser sector, saying those investments have contributed in boosting rural unemployment.
The President, who expressed confidence in the leadership of FEPSAN under Thomas Etuh, noted the sustained investments by members of the Association even during the recessionary period and the COVID-19 lockdown and commended them for their sacrifices and personal commitments to the economic emancipation of Nigeria through enhanced availability of crop inputs for improved agricultural yield.
GIK/APA