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France Collaborates with 13 Nigerian Universities to Research into Plastic Waste Management

France Collaborates with 13 Nigerian Universities to Research into Plastic Waste Management
By: Michael Mike
France in order to help Plastic Waste Management in the country has entered a sponsorship agreement with 13 Nigeria universities to develop research centres and build micro plants.
The agreement which €753,000 is part of the French Embassy Fund (FEF) Project 2024 and the benefiting institutions are Alex Ekwueme University, Bayero University Kano, Nile University, Covenant University, Babcock University, University of Jos (UNIJOS), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Ibadan, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Yaba College of Technology, University of Calabar, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and University of Delta.
This FEF project is an initiative of the French Government as part of the global dynamic to fight against plastic pollution. Funding under this programme is intended to support Young Nigerian researchers from the partnered Universities in order to develop innovative adaptive ideas for a healthier and safer environment, where Plastic Waste has less to no impact, especially in the educational environment.
The French Embassy Fund is a programme under the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs designed to help French representations abroad to carry out innovative actions on the ground that have a rapid impact and are highly visible for the benefit of local populations.
The project will be deployed within the next 18 months, through three components: Funding and delivery of micro plants co-designed by and for two universities (UNILAG and Nile University), equipped with adapted machineries to tackle plastic collection, processing and eventually transformation; Funding five to six research projects in innovative solutions with high added value with regards to sustainable development, circular economy, qualitative value chain, gender inclusivity and strong entrepreneurial potential; Boosting capacity building with focus training programmes to support the research projects, scientific exchange between Nigerian and French researchers and mobility programmes at a Higher Education level.
Funded projects are expected to be fully implemented and sustainable by December 2025.
Speaking at the event which held on Thursday night at the French Embassy in Nigeria in Abuja, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of France to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jean Francois Hasperue said: “We are witnessing climate change effects, whether in the form of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity or severe droughts. Nigeria is a sad example of this, as it is one of the 10 countries in the world most sensitive to climate change. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a present reality, contrary to what the climatoseptics would have us believe.”
He noted that: “These issues are global and we need to find global solutions together as air pollution does not stop at the border nor plastic pollution in the oceans.
“The rise of youth activism is one of the most significant developments in the fight against climate change in my view. All along the events I have seen and met the young people and also the public committed to tackle these issues. We owe it to them to listen to their voices and to provide them with answers that are sometimes incomplete, but also to always leave room for discussion.
“It’s with a great deal of humility that we need to listen to each other and recognize that we can no longer continue to act as we have in the past. Combating climate change and building climate resilience require international collaborative and cross-generational solutions.”
The envoy said: “This means investing in renewable energy, protecting natural ecosystems and developing adaptation strategies to cope with the inevitable impacts of climate change.”
He said the French Embassy Fund entitled “Plastic waste management in Nigerian campuses” project will be deployed within the next 18 months.
He added that at the French Embassy in Nigeria, and as with every event, we are going the extra mile to reach out to researchers, civil society, artists, students and activists to make our events exceptional and to put the experts and professionals in each field at the centre of all discussions.
The envoy revealed that through scholarship programmes, “we support five bachelors students currently attending the “French+Sciences” Sustainable Development short training programme in Montpellier during one month. And today, seven more candidates have been selected as laureates of the France Excellence scholarship programme to continue their studies in Environmental sciences for a two years Master programme.
France Collaborates with 13 Nigerian Universities to Research into Plastic Waste Management
News
Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok

Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has carried out rapid assessment in communities affected by the recent flood disaster in Damboa and Chibok local government areas with 1,209 houses affected in 4 different communities.
Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has earlier directed the Agency to immediately carry out assessment and intervention in communities affected by flood and windstorm disasters.

The affected areas include Gumsuri, Garjang and Wovi in Damboa as well as Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government.
Governor Zulum had, on Tuesday, sympathised with residents of the affected communities and families of those that lost their loved ones in Chibok, Damboa and Askira

“I received with profound sorrow the sad news of the devastating flood disaster in Gumsuri, Wovi and Garjang in Damboa as well as the people of Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government which claimed lives and displaced many families. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and all those affected by these disasters,” Governor Zulum stated.
During the on-the-spot assessment, the Acting Director General of SEMA, Ali Abdullahi Isa, said his visit was at the instance of the governor, assuring to deliver relief items to victims of the disaster.
“As directed by his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, we have carried out on-the-spot assessment of all the areas affected by the flash flood in the two local governments,” Ali stated.

“A total of 1,103 houses in Gumsuri, Wovi and Garjang in Damboa LGA have been severely affected while 106 houses in Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government were also affected,” he added.
The DG prayed Almighty Allah to prevent future occurrences.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of SEMA has provided relief items to families affected by the windstorm disaster in Rumirgo town of Askira Uba local government.
The DG alongside district coordinator of the Agency were received by the Vice Chairman and the District Head of the area.
Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok
News
Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis

Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised two terrorists and recovered weapons and logistics items during a fierce encounter along the Pulka–Kirawa road in Borno State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama on Thursday that the encounter occurred as troops engaged a group of terrorists attempting to cross toward the Dar-Jamal area around the Miyanti axis.

The confrontation, which resulted in a sustained firefight, led to the elimination of two terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
Items recovered from the scene include AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines, motorcycles, Baofeng radios, cell phones, hard drugs, medical drips, and mini solar panels, believed to be used by the terrorists for field operations.
The troops have continued to pursue the fleeing insurgents as part of the ongoing offensive operations in the general area.
Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis
News
VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria

VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Board of Directors of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC Ltd), charging members to deepen financial inclusion and stimulate Nigeria’s grassroots economy.
The new institution is designed to serve as a financial backbone for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) struggling with access to affordable credit.
Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Vice President Shettima said the establishment of NCGC represents the government’s commitment to bridging the financing gap that has long plagued MSMEs across the country.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on May 29, 2025, announced the establishment of the company, just as he also approved the appointment of its board and management team.
The President also appointed former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, as Chairman of the NCGC Board, while Mr. Bonaventure Okhaimo was appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
While inaugurating the board, the Vice President said, “This is our response to a stubborn challenge that has stifled our economic potential for decades—access to finance. These entrepreneurs do not ask for handouts; they ask for the credibility of their ideas to be matched by the confidence of our financial institutions.”
Describing the NCGC as “a critical engine in our pursuit of economic inclusion and sustainable growth,” VP Shettima explained that the company will serve as a vital bridge between entrepreneurs and financial institutions, providing the trust needed for small businesses to secure loans.
He cited instances of farmers, traders, artisans, and tech entrepreneurs across the country who, despite being productive, are often stranded due to a lack of collateral or guarantees.
“NCGC is that bridge. It is the assurance that when a farmer in Ibadan needs a loan to expand her cocoa farm, when a tech start-up in Abuja needs working capital to scale, when a leather artisan in Kano seeks to mechanise his craft, and when a trader in Onitsha needs capital to expand, the system will no longer fail them. It is a promise that productive Nigerians will not be stranded for want of guarantees,” the Vice President said.
To the newly inaugurated board, chaired by former Speaker Dogara, VP Shettima urged its members to combine “prudence with courage, accountability with ambition,” as they translate national policy into impact.
“This is a call to deploy your diverse expertise not only as overseers but as enablers of transformation,” he charged, adding that the new board’s leadership is important in unlocking capital for Nigeria’s most enterprising but underserved sectors.
“On behalf of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GFCR, and the Federal Government of Nigeria, I hereby declare the Board of Directors of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited duly inaugurated,” he stated.
Earlier, the new board’s Chairman, Rt. Hon. Dogara thanked President Tinubu for the bold and courageous leadership he is providing for the country.
“The establishment of NCGC is an attempt to give vent to our democracy to deliver on its promise. As it is said, the promise of democracy is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
“You can be alive and may enjoy all the rights, but if you don’t have the means with which to pursue happiness, you are excluded from the promise of democracy. Our democracy must deliver not just political and individual rights but economic opportunities,” he said.
In his remarks, the Managing Director (MD) of the Bank of Industry (BOI) and member of the board, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, said that the establishment of the NCGC reflects the administration’s unwavering commitment to removing structural barriers that long constrained access to finance for MSMEs, manufacturers, consumers and other segments of the economy.
“This milestone is a result of dedicated hard work by a coalition of partners like BOI, Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and the World Bank, who have all worked closely together under the direction of the Presidential Committee,” he said.
Other members of the board include Mrs. Tinoula Aigwedo, Executive Director of Strategy and Operations; Dr. Ezekiel Oseni, Executive Director, Risk Management; and Ms. Yeside Kazeem, Independent Non-Executive Director.
Representatives from key financial institutions serving as Non-Executive Board Members of the company include Mr. Aminu Sadiq-Umar (MD, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority), Dr. Olasupo Olusi (MD/CEO, Bank of Industry), Mr. Uzoma Nwagba (MD, Nigeria Consumer Credit Corporation), and Mrs. Oluwakemi Owonubi (representative of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated).
VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria
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