News
UK Scraps Visa Bond for Nigerians, 5 Other Nationals
Britain has shelved a plan to force visitors from six “high-risk” countries to pay a cash bond of £3,000 (US $4,800, 3,500 euros), the interior ministry said on Sunday.
The government had been preparing to pilot a scheme requiring visitors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria to pay the deposit for a six-month visa.
They would have forfeited the money if they overstayed.
“The government has been considering whether we pilot a bond scheme that would deter people from overstaying the visa. We have decided not to proceed,” a Home Office spokeswoman said.
Reports in June said the scheme would initially target hundreds of visitors before being extended to affect several thousand.
The plan had prompted an outcry from government and business leaders in India, with which Britain has been trying to foster a closer trade relationship.
Olugbenga Ashiru, Nigerian former foreign minister, also said in June that the bond scheme was “not only discriminatory but also capable of undermining the spirit of the Commonwealth family”.
The Sunday Times newspaper reported on Sunday that the scheme backed by Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives had been blocked by junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats.
Cameron’s government has been seeking to show it is serious about a promise to cut net migration into Britain below 100,000 a year by the next election in 2015, amid an electoral threat from the anti-immigrant United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).
But last week the government also abandoned a plan for vans with billboards telling illegal immigrants to “go home or face arrest”, after a pilot project met with widespread condemnation.
A Home Office official said in June that the six countries to be targeted by the bond scheme were those with “the most significant risk of abuse”.
Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, told BBC television in September that he was “absolutely not interested in a bond which becomes an indiscriminate way of clobbering people who want to come to this country”.
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
- News2 days ago
60 Hearty Cheers to Chioma Ekeh, Africa’s Leading Unusual Female Tech
- Telecom2 days ago
ALTON, ATCON Urge FG to Address Telecoms Industry Challenges
- News2 days ago
9mobile Partners Microsoft to Host Impactful Training Session for Journalists
- Telecom2 days ago
Qualcomm Shortlists Startups for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2024 and Awards 2023 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund
- News2 days ago
Academic Technologists Propose N350,000 Minimum Wage
- E-Business3 days ago
Dexude Secures Funding to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria, Beyond
- E-Financial2 days ago
Confusion as CBN Deletes, Reinstates Tweet Calling Crypto-Related Directive Fake
- E-Business2 days ago
Hydrogen Hosts Catalyst Workshop, Highlights Resilient Business Models for Fintech Startups