National News

Nigeria, Bangladesh Top Beneficiaries of UK’s New 10.88 Billion Global Partnership to Educate Girls

Published

3 years ago

March 8, 2022

News Net Global

Nigeria, Bangladesh Top Beneficiaries of UK’s New 10.88 Billion Global Partnership to Educate Girls

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and Bangladesh top two counties to benefit from United Kingdom’s new global partnership with 11 businesses to improve girls’ access to education and employment

The new global partnership was launched British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to mark International Women’s Day celebrated on Tuesday.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the British High Commission in Abuja, countries like Nigeria and Bangladesh, two countries where significant barriers to girls’ education remain, will be one of the first to benefit from the fund. The Statement revealed that UK Government is contributing an initial £9m (4.89 billion Naira) , with businesses providing £11m (5.98 billion Naira) in total, with the programme aiming to provide high quality skills training to around 1 million girls around the world; noting that improving girls’ access to education is a key part of the UK’s foreign policy, to ensure we build back better from the pandemic and prevent a lost generation, insisting that investing in education helps lift communities out of poverty and protects girls from early marriage, forced labour and gender-based violence.

The statement said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is launching a new £20m business partnership as the UK continues to lead global efforts to improve girls’ access to education in developing countries.

The statement added that even before the COVID pandemic, millions of children did not have any access to school – and girls from disadvantaged families are particularly vulnerable to missing out on education, whether through poverty or prejudice. The pandemic has created even more barriers to education, with a peak of 1.6 billion children around the world having faced school closures.

It revealed that In the UK’s first education partnership of its kind, the UK Government is joining forces with the private sector to boost girls’ access to education in developing countries. Partners include Accenture, BP, Cognizant, Coursera,

Microsoft, Pearson, PwC, Standard Chartered, Unilever, United Bank for Africa and Vodafone.

The UK Government will be working in partnership with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) to help deliver the programme, with key partners funding GenU being Accenture, Microsoft, Standard Chartered, Unilever, and United Bank of Africa.

Also Read: Pres. Buhari celebrates Osinbajo at 65

On 7 March, a reception was held at No10 Downing Street to mark the announcement ahead of the 8 March 2022 International Women’s Day. The event was attended by partners including: Jill Huntley, Global Managing Director, Corporate Citizenship at Accenture;

Dr Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera and Marissa Thomas, Chief Operating Officer at PwC.

At the event, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The United Kingdom has long been a proud and mighty champion of this fundamental cause and today we take one leap further through our first Global Partnership of its kind – opening the opportunity for one million girls across

the developing world to have access to high quality skills training.

“Ensuring every girl and young woman across the globe receives 12 years of quality education is the greatest tool in our armoury to end the world’s great injustices.

“Delivering on this mission will be one of the best defences against ignorance, ensure the greatest protection from prejudice and put a rocket booster behind our hopes and dreams for global development in the years to come.”

Businesses, charities, schools and colleges will shortly be able to bid for funds from the programme. The partnership wants to support projects that will improve access to education for girls, with a focus on providing the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills needed to find work in key sectors such as technology and manufacturing. This could include funding new skills training programmes, improving teaching or redesigning training to make it more relevant to business needs. Initially bids will be encouraged for projects in Nigeria and Bangladesh, two countries where significant barriers to girls’ education remain.

Funding from the programme will also help expand GenU’s `Passport to Earning’ (P2E) platform. This digital skills platform will provide girls with free, certified education and skills training which they can then use to support future

employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. UNICEF’s precursor to P2E was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021.

Some of the businesses involved will be contributing a range of resources including books, computers and other technology, mentors, advice and access to their networks, skills and training programmes. The private sector involvement will help ensure that education and learning opportunities provide girls with the skills for the future that employers need.

The UK is playing a leading global role to improve girls’ education in developing countries. During the UK’s G7 Presidency last year it secured agreement to help get an additional 40 million girls into school by 2026; and secondly to help 20 million girls to learn to read by the age of 10 by 2026. In 2021, the UK hosted a successful Global Education Summit, which raised $4 billion in pledges from world leaders to support schools through the Global Partnership for Education. Between 2015 and 2020, the UK supported at least 15.6 million children in developing countries to gain a decent education, including 8.1 million girls.

The statement said: “We have already seen considerable success with similar skills programmes such as the Alternative Learning Program (ALP) in Bangladesh. This involved training up marginalised young girls with the skills they needed to be able to secure jobs within demand sectors, which gave these young girls more economic, social and personal freedom. As a result, the programme saw a 62% reduction in child marriage among the girls and families involved.

“Similarly, the ‘Educate!’ programme across Uganda and Rwanda has provided industry-specific (agriculture and tourism) sessions for girls, as well as sessions to boost their literacy skills. This programme saw a 120% increase in income

among the female participants.”

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: lSupporting women and girls is at the heart of UK foreign policy. We want women to have agency over their own lives and to be free to succeed.

“Investing in girls’ education is vital for a more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future. That’s why we are partnering with the private sector to help girls in developing countries access education and job opportunities.”

Helen Grant, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education said: “Every girl everywhere deserves to have an education. From school right the way through to the workplace, our partnership will help give women and girls the skills they need to reach their full potential.”

Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer of Generation Unlimited said: “The Girls’ Education Skills Partnership exemplifies the commitment of the UK government and the private sector in addressing the critical gap in skilling girls for 21st Century opportunities.

“P2E is an innovative skills platform designed with partners to reach the girls everywhere, every time, preparing them with in-demand market relevant skills.”

Nigeria, Bangladesh Top Beneficiaries of UK’s New 10.88 Billion Global Partnership to Educate Girls

National News

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

Published

13 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

By: Michael Mike

The federal government has received a commitment from a Chinese firm, China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The commitment was given to the Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) Joseph Tegbe who is presently leading a team to China to market Nigeria and its opportunities for investment.

A press statement on Monday read that Tegbe held strategic sessions with renowned Economist and former World Bank Director Prof Justin Lin Yifu, who pledged support for the NCSP office in areas of policy implementation, reforms, and attraction of Chinese investments.

The Director General delegation was also hosted by China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd (CNCEC), whose President Li Zhenyi, expressed his company’s commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth through construction and industrialization specifically their strong desire to support the development of the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project in partnership with other Nigerian stakeholders in a restructured funding partnership.

The Director-General acknowledged CNCEC’s technical capabilities and their previous accomplishments; and also reiterated the bold and audacious support of President Bola Tinubu on the major developmental projects across Nigeria as national priority to fast track the nation’s industrialization.

Tegbe’s visit to China was as part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) projects coordination, and investment drive, and he has continued to have strategic engagement with key Chinese stakeholders to deepen the bilateral cooperation. The visit aimed to review priority FOCAC projects, explore innovative funding options, and attract major Chinese investments into Nigeria.

In Beijing, the Director-General met with representatives from China EXIM Bank and China Development Bank to discuss accelerated delivery of priority projects. The delegation also visited the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Headquarters, where they toured a 2.5 million eggs-per-day production poultry farm, a visit to the firm aimed at assessing the feasibility of replicating similar projects in Nigeria using innovative funding models, such as the part contractor-financed, BOT, among others as recently adopted in other China financed projects.

During the visit, the delegation moved to Xinjiang where they visited TBEA, the number 1 electricity corporation in China and leading power transmission enterprise. They discussed status of their project and explored investment options and opportunities in mini and microgrid solutions to enhance Nigeria’s power sector.

The delegation’s next stop was at Shanghai where they made a courtesy call to the Nigeria Consulate in Shanghai, engaging in productive discussions about trade and investment opportunities in the region. These conversations focused on facilitating growth in key areas and exploring ways to enhance cooperation between the Consulate’s trade mission and the Director-General’s office.

The delegation thereafter visited the impressive Yangshan Deep-Water Port, also known as Shanghai Port. This massive port is currently the largest in the world, was constructed by China Harbor Engineering company, who also constructed the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria. The port
boasts an incredible capacity of 51 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). During their visit, the delegation had the opportunity to cross the remarkable 35-kilometre bridge, specifically designed for the evacuation of men and materials from the port. This bridge is a testament to China’s impressive engineering capabilities.

According to the statement, before leaving China, the delegation is expected to engage key players in Chinese economy in Shenzhen, and Guangzhou to facilitate and fast-track FOCAC project implementation through familiarization and feedback sessions with the relevant participating companies.

The statement added that “the ongoing visit is part of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation between the two nations, an initiative that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria’s economic growth and development, particularly in areas such as infrastructurb development, technology transfer, and job creation.

Ogidigben $20 billion Gas Project: Nigeria Receives Investment Commitment from Chinese Firm

National News

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

Published

15 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

** Says Africa Has Indeed Woken Up

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said serious investors can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s growing investment climate to tap from the limitless opportunities in the country and the African continent.

VP Shettima spoke on Tuesday during a forum titled, “Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa’s Frontier Markets,” at the ongoing annual meeting of the 2025 World Economic Forum ( WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

At the session which was co-chaired by Mirek Dusek, Managing Director of World Economic Forum, and chaired by Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President, African Development Bank (AFDB) group, discussions focused on the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Roadmap for Africa.

He told the forum that the tales they hear about the country and the African continent as a whole are really not that of doom and gloom as being painted by doomsday proponents.

The Vice President noted that Nigeria is poised to invade the global business platform with modernisation and robust investments, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a seasoned chartered accountant, is working to make the nation an investment destination in Africa.

“For 20 years, I have been in the Nigerian banking industry. I was a general manager in Nigeria’s largest bank, Zenith Bank. I grew up in that ecosystem. The President himself is a seasoned chartered accountant. So, I believe that Nigeria is ready for business, Nigeria is ready to embrace the path of modernization with very robust investment,” he declared.

Acknowledging however that the nation may still have certain deficits, VP Shettima pointed out that Nigeria is looking up to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to address the challenges.

He stated: “We are having a huge deficit but we are looking forward to the AfCFTA and that involves investing in infrastructure for instance the coastal highway from Calabar to Lagos is the largest single investment in Africa. We are building corridors to the North.

“We have the West African gas pipeline. We are thinking ahead of time akin to the Belt and Road Initiative. We are partnering with 14 African countries to invest in gas infrastructure down to Morocco.”

Senator Shettima insisted that Africa is not all about tales of doom and gloom, maintaining that the continent has woken up from its slumber.

Likening Napoleon Bonaparte’s opinion about China to the case of Africa, the VP said, “So, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the stories you hear about Africa are not that of doom and gloom. From DRC to Somalia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire, Africa is waking up from its slumber.

“I remember what Napoleon Bonaparte said about China, he said “China is a sleeping giant but when she wakes up, she will rattle the world”. So, Africa has woken up and we will take our rightful place in the comity of nations because as I said earlier, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa. We are the youngest continent.”

Also drawing a leaf from the late Nigerian head of state, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, VP Shettima said Africa has come of age and can no longer be treated like an adolescent.

“I want to quote Murtala Mohammed – a Nigerian military leader at an extraordinary summit of the OAU, about 50 years ago. He said “Africa has come of age, it is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power, and it shall no longer take orders from any country, however powerful,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, in a show of African leadership collaboration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Shettima, on Tuesday joined South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, as special guest of honor at a high-level briefing, following his earlier participation in the Africa Investment Forum.

….VP Shettima, Botswana’s President Hold Talks

Meet WTO DG, Okonjo – Iweala

Similarly, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the President of Botswana, Duma Boko, on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting where areas of mutual interest between both countries were discussed.

The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, is part of Nigeria’s commitment to fostering stronger intra-African relations and economic cooperation.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging their countries’ strengths to promote mutual growth and development.

The Vice President, who congratulated President Duma Boko on his election victory, called for deeper partnerships and collaborations between African nations, saying it is time Africa united and presented a common front on interests regarding the continent.

During the meeting, Vice President Shettima welcomed the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, introducing her to the Botswana President.

The Vice President commended Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s exceptional achievements, describing her as one of Africa’s finest.

Other areas of interest discussed between the two leaders included trade, investment and strengthening of diplomatic ties.

AT 2025 WEF, VP Shettima Markets Nigeria, Africa As Investment Destination

National News

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed dismay at the devastating tanker explosion that claimed several lives at Dikko Junction in Niger State.

He commiserated with families of the victims, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.

The Vice President extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Niger State.

The Vice President’s message follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s earlier directive for immediate medical assistance to survivors and the implementation of stricter safety protocols along major highways.

The incident, which occurred when a fuel-laden tanker en route from Kaduna to Gwagwalada overturned at Dikko Junction, has prompted the federal government to announce a comprehensive review of transportation safety measures.

The Preident has also tasked the National Orientation Agency with launching an immediate nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of approaching accident scenes involving fuel tankers.

Niger Tanker Explosion: VP Shettima Expresses Dismay Over Loss Of Lives