Business Briefs
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WINNERS of the nationwide essay competition for undergraduates in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions on the Mobile Number Portability, MNP, scheme, have emerged. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, introduced the essay competition after the successful launch of the scheme early last year to test the level of knowledge on the scheme among undergraduates in the country.
According to the commission, the objective of the competition introduced in 2013, was to increase awareness, engage and enhance research skills and also to encourage competition and excellence in tertiary institutions. The topic of the essay was “The Effect of Mobile Number Portability on the Telecoms Service and Usage in Nigeria.”
The commission said in a statement on its website that following the successful evaluation of the submissions, including plagiarism checks on the winning essays, Johnson Dasaolu of the University of Lagos, came first, followed by Kadri Olamide of the University of Ibadan, in the second position while Ifeanyi Okpala of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, came third.
It said that the successful candidates had been duly contacted by the commission and that they would be presented with gifts and awards at a ceremony scheduled for Friday, July 18, 2014 at the commission’s conference room in Lagos.
NDIC Sensitisation Seminar for Judges
THE Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, will continue to collaborate with the judiciary to ensure effective discharge of its mandate and also contribute to the stability of the financial system. Umaru Ibrahim, managing director, NDIC, made this known in a keynote address he delivered at a sensitisation seminar for federal high court judges.
Ibrahim observed with concern that a large segment of the Nigerian public had a wrong perception about the corporation and its statutory mandate. This, he stated, had made the NDIC to invest resources in the campaign to reverse the trend through effective and continuous public awareness and close collaboration with key stakeholders. He commended the support of the courts through informed judgments, encouraging feedback from both the bar and the bench and increased public awareness on the dynamics of deposit insurance.
Justice Ibrahim Auta, chief judge of the Federal High Court, said judges had been exclusively designated to handle NDIC cases, pointing out that the sensitisation seminar had enlightened the bench on the mandate and activities of the corporation. This, according to him, had resulted in more proactive and accurate adjudication of insolvency disputes. Auta added that the exclusive designation of judges to NDIC cases had led to timely dispensation of judgments as well as sustained the competence and specialisation of the designated courts.
World Bank Country Partnership Strategy Launch
THE World Bank Group has launched a new Country Partnership Strategy, CPS, in Nigeria aimed at helping the federal and state governments boost development and reduce poverty. The World Bank said the new strategy was deemed necessary, following the recent Gross Domestic Products, GDP, rebasing which puts Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy.
It added that the new strategy came at an opportune time just as Nigeria was redoubling efforts to tackle critical development challenges. Moreover, the bank said it was committing itself to lift the major constraints hindering the country from achieving broad-based, inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction goals.
According to the bank, the launching was aimed at making the objectives and outcomes of the strategy known to all beneficiaries, namely the federal and state government officials, the Millennium Development Agencies, MDAs, media, civil society organisations, the private sector, academics, researchers, professionals and other stakeholders.
“The new partnership strategy, jointly developed with the government of Nigeria, is supportive of the country’s Vision 20-20-20 plan and its transformation agenda which set out Nigeria’s long-term development objectives and the medium-term strategy for operationalising this vision. The strategy includes support for a bold and ambitious program of development targets and interventions for the next four years.”
Specifically, the World Bank Group’s support for Nigeria is structured around three strategic priorities: Promoting growth and job creation by reforming the power sector, enhancing agricultural productivity, and increasing access to finance; improving the quality and efficiency of social service delivery at the state level to promote social inclusion and strengthening governance and public sector management, with gender equity and conflict sensitivity as essential elements of governance.
Compiled by Anayo Ezugwu
— Jul. 21, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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