…Warns Against Unwholesome Contents,

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) trained and empowered 300 youths in Kano State, advising them not to use social media to spread hate speech and incitement.

From November 1 to 3, youths from the Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency attended a capacity-building program at the Federal Secretariat in Kano.

The youths will serve as NFVCB’s ‘Community Ambassadors’ against unclassified films and harmful video content, having been trained by relevant professionals, board officials, and seasoned entrepreneurs.

Over 300 people were trained in basic entrepreneurial skills and the know-how they needed to be successful artisans, according to a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media to NFVCB’s Executive Director/CEO Joshua Olomu. They were also given startup packs with soft grants to help them get started.

Under the board’s “Strategic Empowerment Programme” for Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency, 150 other youths received either an agricultural water pump or a power generating set.

The power generating set, according to the organizers, was for the young creative entrepreneurs to run their local film viewing centers as NFVCB Ambassadors.

The training was designed to complement the NFVCB’s capacity building program for youths in the creative industry across the six geopolitical zones, according to Alh. Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director/CEO.

The programme, he said, was the final phase of the board’s Media Literacy and Capacity Building modules for the state’s Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency.

He said the program was facilitated by Hon.Yusuf Badau, a member of the National Assembly’s House of Representatives in Abuja who represents the constituency.

“This is part of the concluding phase of the series of the NFVCB’s capacity building packages for this constituency.

“This capacity building initiative is in line with President Muhamadu Buhari’s empowerment plan to ensure that young Nigerians are self-reliant.

“When youths are gainfully engaged it will curb crimes and other vices threaten the peace unity of our nation, because their role is very crucial in national economic development.

“We do not only train them but we are also assisting to these selected youths with empowerment kits, including grants as part of our support for stakeholders in the industry, especially the young ones.

“This is to enable them startsomething and become self reliant and creators of jobs as well,” he said.

Thomas added that as Nigerian grapples with a lot of security challenges, it was crucial to advise young Nigerians against the moral and social implications of sharing of unwholesome visual contents.

He noted that many crisis in some parts of the country were escalated as a result of fake news, hate speeches and videos spread on social media.

He therefore commended Hon.Badau for embracing the collaboration with the board towards youth empowerment for the region.

“This training is born out of the need for NFVCB, both as an industry regulator, and a decision maker to build the capacity of youths who mostly watch films and video contents.

“It is difficult for us to have offices in every local government and community, and that is why these empowered youths are now our ambassadors.

“At every point, they must be able to condemn a bad film when they see one, and report to any of our offices or officials,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Badau commended the NFVCB for the collaboration which his constituency has so much benefited from as part of his Zonal Intervention Programmes.

He therefore urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the startup packs for them to become economically self-reliant, and advised them against selling the items they received.

A participate, Umar Shanono, expressed delight that the empowerment was clear a indication that the Federal Government has not forgotten them in the rural areas.

“I am very lucky to be selected for this capacity building programme this time around, because these people have been coming to empower our women and youths for some time now,” he said

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Nigeria will require approximately 1.5 trillion dollars over a ten-year period to reach an adequate level of National Infrastructure Stock.

President Buhari delivered the figure on Tuesday in Glasgow at a COP 26 high-level side event on building global infrastructure organized by US Vice President Joe Biden, EU Commission President Van Der Leyen, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

‘‘Nigeria is ready for your investments in infrastructural development in the country.

‘‘My administration has established a clear legal and regulatory framework for private financing of infrastructure to establish a standard process, especially on the monitoring and evaluation process.

‘‘We look forward to working with you in this regard,’’ he told world leaders at the high level meeting on the margins of the climate change conference.

President Buhari also hinted that his administration had taken infrastructure expansion in Nigeria seriously, conscious of the fact that new investments in critical sectors of the economy would aid lifting 100 million Nigerians from poverty by 2030.

‘‘There is a nexus between infrastructural development and the overall economic development of a nation.

‘‘My administration identified this early enough as a major enabler of sustainable economic development and the realization of other continental and global development aspirations particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

‘‘On my assumption of office in 2015, Nigeria faced a huge infrastructure deficit and the total National Infrastructure Stock was estimated at 35% of our Gross Domestic Product.

‘‘In solving these problems, we embarked on a massive infrastructure expansion programme in the areas of Health care, Education, Transportation, Manufacturing, Energy, Housing, Agriculture, and Water Resources.

‘‘We provided more financial resources for these policies, charted new international partnerships and pursued liberalization policies to allow private sector participation.

‘‘We introduced the revised National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan – a policy document that ensures our infrastructure expansion projects is cross-sectorally integrated and environmentally friendly, ’’ he said.

The President , however, welcomed the G7 countries for its ground-breaking plan to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure investment for low – and middle-income countries.

He noted that the “Build Back Better World” plan, an initiative of the G7 countries, is expected to be a values-driven, high-standard, and transparent infrastructure partnership.

‘‘It is our fervent hope and expectations that this plan will be pursued to its logical conclusion in order to bridge the infrastructural gap between the North and South,’’ he said.

The President also used the occasion to outline the principles, values and standards Nigeria would like to see from infrastructure initiatives and the challenges the country has faced in partnering with donors on infrastructure development.

‘‘The aim of pursuing quality infrastructure investment is to maximize the positive economic, environmental, social, and development impact of infrastructure and create a virtuous circle of economic activities, while ensuring sound public finances.

‘‘This virtuous circle can take various forms in stimulating the economy,” he said.

The Nigerian leader noted that infrastructure investment should, therefore, take into account economic, environmental and social, and governance aspects, guided by a sense of shared, long-term responsibility for the planet, consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The President added that the positive and negative impacts of infrastructure projects on ecosystems, biodiversity, climate, weather and the use of resources should be internalized by incorporating these environmental considerations over the entire process of infrastructure investment.

‘‘Domestic resource mobilization is critical to addressing the infrastructure financing gap. Assistance for capacity building, including for project preparation, should be provided to developing countries with the participation of international organizations.

‘‘Quality infrastructure investment also needs to be tailored to individual country conditions and consistent with local laws and regulations.

‘‘Furthermore, Infrastructure projects should align with national strategies and nationally determined contributions for those countries determined to implement them, and with transitioning to long-term low emissions strategies, while being mindful of country circumstances,’’ he said.

The President also called for the environmental impact of infrastructure investment to be made transparent to all stakeholders, noting that this will enhance the appreciation of sustainable infrastructure projects and increase awareness of related risks.

…We Are Taking Precautionary Measures- NEMA

The acting coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, has confirmed a large gas leakage in the vicinity of Computer Village, Awolowo Rd, Oba Akran, Medical Road, Anifowoshe, and Ikeja.

Farinloye, who called in to a live TV program on Wednesday morning, notified people of the situation and advised them to keep careful and avoid the impacted region.

“I want to tell everyone that all relevant agencies are on the ground to ensure safety at the site,” he said.

We’d want to advise everyone to keep away from the scene.”