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

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
Nigeria@65: FG’s programmes improving welfare of Nigerians- NOA

Nigeria@65: FG’s programmes improving welfare of Nigerians- NOA
The National Orientation Agency (NOA), on Wednesday said that the Federal Government’s programmes and policies under President Bola Tinubu-led administration were improving the welfare of Nigerians.
Mrs Adaline Patari, the State Director of NOA, Gombe State office, stated this shortly after a road show to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary in Gombe.
Patari said that programmes and policies of Tinubu-led administration had supported many Nigerians from the student’s loan to conditional cash transfer to support to small businesses amongst others.
She stated that the initiatives by the present administration had restored hope and put the country amongst serious countries pursuing better reforms to improve their economy while revamping infrastructure.
According to her, many undergraduates benefitting from the student’s loan scheme which has removed all financial hindrances impeding access to tertiary education now feel a sense of belonging.
She said that the programmes and policies of the Federal Government have benefitted many households and improved their welfare in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
“The reforms of the Federal Government are working and many persons are proud to be Nigerians and more persons are now trying to do the right things as Nigerians.
“People are beginning to see themselves as proud Nigerians and that confidence of being a Nigerian is being restored.
“Today, many Nigerians are benefitting from the programmes of the current administration, this means that the country is now working for them,” she said.
While acknowledging that there were still challenges that needed to be addressed, Patari said, at 65, we have made tremendous progress especially working together in peace and unity.
She urged Nigerians to continue to support Tinubu administration’s programmes towards building a better country that works for all Nigerians.
The state director said that with the necessary reforms being carried out and already yielding results in the economic, agriculture, security and other sectors, more Nigerians would be prouder to be Nigerians in the future.
“Today, the country is progressing and we are united; we are now prouder to be Nigerians and I can tell you that the labour of our heroes past, indeed is never in vain,” she added.
Commending the contributions of youths to national development, Patari urged them to have a positive mind-set towards Nigeria and to always express optimism of a better Nigeria for everyone.
Patari also lauded the renewed strength with which NOA under the Director General of the agency, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu was being driven.
She said that government’s policies and programmes were getting more supports from Nigerians because of the constant engagements of Nigerians by the NOA nationwide.
The event also featured sensitisation of residents on Federal Government’s policies, programmes and the need for the people to support the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda
Nigeria@65: FG’s programmes improving welfare of Nigerians- NOA
National News
Nigeria, European Union hold inaugural Trade and Investment Dialogue

Nigeria, European Union hold inaugural Trade and Investment Dialogue
By: Michael Mike
Senior Government officials of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have today met in Abuja to assess the vibrant economic partnership between the two parties and chart a way forward.
The inaugural Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Trade and investment Dialogue (TID) was anchored by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, and Director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security (DG TRADE), Ms Dora Correia,
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot,, welcomed the launch of the Dialogue, which they said underscored the growing importance attached to trade and investment in the EU-Nigeria partnership.
This Senior Officials’ meeting marks an important step in strengthening the trade and investment partnership between the EU and Nigeria, and provided opportunity for the officials to exchange views on areas of mutual interest; address potential challenges and explore opportunities for further collaboration.
Discussions focused on a range of issues, including trade and investment policy, cooperation on market access barriers and requirements, preferential trade and investment arrangements, investment, collaboration within the World Trade Organization (WTO), regulatory measures that could impact trade and investment, and the identification of trade and investment-related development cooperation areas.
Both sides expressed their interest to continue the Dialogue, with the second TID billed to take place in Brussels, Belgium, in 2026, on a date to be jointly decided.
Nigeria, European Union hold inaugural Trade and Investment Dialogue
National News
FG Declares Wednesday, Oct. 1 Public Holiday to Marks 65th Independence Anniversary

FG Declares Wednesday, Oct. 1 Public Holiday to Marks 65th Independence Anniversary
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1st of October as a public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
The Honourable Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora on this historic occasion.
Tunji-Ojo, in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, enjoined citizens to continue to uphold the patriotic spirit, unity, and resilience that have sustained the nation since independence in 1960.
He urged Nigerians to further keep faith in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which is anchored on national rebirth, economic transformation, and collective prosperity.
The Minister expressed confidence that, with the cooperation of all Nigerians, the country will continue to grow stronger in peace, progress, and development.
He wished Nigerians a happy and memorable 2025 Independence Day celebration.
FG Declares Wednesday, Oct. 1 Public Holiday to Marks 65th Independence Anniversary
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