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CEAN AIR: DANGOTE CEMENT REACHING FOR THE BLUE SKIES By Francis Awowole-Browne

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CEAN AIR: DANGOTE CEMENT REACHING FOR THE BLUE SKIES

By Francis Awowole-Browne

 

 

 

Air pollution has identified as one of the greatest environmental risk to human health with far-reaching impacts owing to its spread over long distances. In fact, it is estimated that no fewer than seven million people die prematurely every year worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO). The deaths occasioned by complications arising from respiratory problems, heart disease and cancer, all traced to polluted air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given the significance of casualties from air pollution, the United Nations earmarked every September 7 as International Day of Clean Air for the Blue Skies. Air Pollution is a major environmental problem that affects people all over the world, therefore it calls for the need for strong partnership to stem the tide of air pollution and its attendant effect on human, hence the theme for this year’s Day “Together for Clean Air”.

 

 

 

CEAN AIR: DANGOTE CEMENT REACHING FOR THE BLUE SKIES

By Francis Awowole-Browne

 

 

The transboundary nature of air pollution calls for concerted efforts and this was why this year’s theme focused on alliances, shared responsibilities and increased investments to protect the earth from fouled atmospheric condition and have healthy and clean air for all.

 

 

 

 

 

It is on this premise that leading Africa Cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s Clean Air Day through creation of awareness on the dangers of polluted air, the importance of clean air for health, productivity, the economy, the environment and the strategies for achieving clean air both as an individual and as an organization. This is because, air pollution manifests in dual fold of health and climate impacts.  The Day was marked across the three plants of the Company in Nigeria and pan-African.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The health impact of air pollution consists in tiny, microscopic particles which penetrate deep into human lungs, bloodstream and bodies. These pollutants are responsible for about one-third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack.

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, the Climatic impact consists of pollutants with a high global warming potential and harm people, ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. They are also responsible for up to 45% of current much touted global warming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this view, Dangote Cement, a notable Champion of climate change segmented its Cean Air Day activities with each plant and its Corporate centre marking the Day in style. As part of the activities to mark the Day at the Global Headquarter of the Cement company in Lagos, the Occupational Health Safety & Environment (OHS&E) department led by Satya Prakash organized a webinar involving stakeholders from the renewable energy private sector, Arnergy and National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), a government agency, who spoke on the roles of Individuals, industry, and regulators in achieving clean air.

 

 

 

 

 

Omobola Omofaiye, the Chief Commercial Officer of Arnergy, analyzed the air quality index explaining that Air Quality connotes how clean and suitable the air is for humans and the environment and that good air quality indicates the air is free from pollution, while the Air Quality Index is a public measure of the dangers of air pollution.

According to her, Air Quality Index has six categories representing different levels of health concern ranging from good, moderate, unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy and Hazardous noting that Greenhouse gas emission constitute the major cause of air pollution of the ecosystem.

She said the Nigeria eco system is impacted negatively by the heavy reliance on fossil fuel for power generation and quoted the African Development Bank as estimating that Nigerians spend $14bn fuelling petrol or diesel-powered generators and over 40% of Nigerian households owning fuel generators and bear the associated costs according to Stears and Sterling report in June 2022

Omofaiye posited that fossil fuel have an outsized negative impact on the environment. “The consumption of one litre of diesel emits, on average, 2.7kg of CO2. In addition to carbon monoxide, fossil fuel creates air pollutants and hazardous exhaust fumes.”

She therefore canvassed for the use of easily accessible alternative fuel in Solar energy which is Clean energy source, highly reliable and accessible. “It can be offered as centralized or distributed systems with lithium battery energy storage system for commercial and residential use. It is built with embedded intelligence application for remote monitoring and energy management.

At the industrial level, renewable energy expert listed other sources of clean energy as comprising of Biomass, Wind and Hydropower. Benefits of these clean alternative energy she stated include “the reduction in fossil fuel consumption; Reduced Greenhouse Gas emissions: The reduction in CO2 emissions from solar power generation helps combat climate change, which can exacerbate air quality issues through factors such as increased heatwaves and the formation of ground-level ozone; Decreased Indoor Air Pollution and Energy efficiency and lower waste generation.

The concomitant effects of these alternatives, she pointed out are that they would aid the reduction in carbon emission and achievement of good air quality, leads to lower cost when compared with the cost of fossil-based generator and asides guaranteeing 24 hour stable business operations for productivity and reduction of operating expenses, they bring about compliance to regulatory emission standards and good corporate image.

In his presentation, The Asst. Director & Head Environmental Quality Management of NESREA, Mr. Usman Musa appreciated Dangote Cement for the initiative which supports the regulation of air quality in Nigeria as cement production process worldwide contains primary air pollutant sources.

From the regulatory point, Musa highlighted some regulatory measures which he said are targeted at preventing and minimizing pollution from all operations and ancillary activities of the industrial sector players.

Part of the measures are the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for new projects or modification including expansion of existing ones before commencement while existing industries are required to Submit Environmental Audit Reports (EAR) conducted by external consultants accredited by the Agency for existing industries every 3 years and Permit for Waste generation and Air Quality to be obtained every year.

The Dangote Cement Plc, Group Head of OHS&E, Prakash in his own remark while stating Dangote Cement’s commitment to clean air  gave insights into eco-friendly activities the Cement Company had undertaken and still working on and which everyone can switch to in order to achieve less emissions of dust and GHGs to the air.

At the ibese, Ogun State plant of the Company, talks were held on achieving clean ambient air quality, air pollution crises, types of pollutants, and how to ensure cleaner air and blue skies. The awareness engagements on particulate and gaseous emission management (measurement, calculation, and control) involved staff across production, instrumentation, mechanical, electrical, OHS&E departments.

At the Gboko, Benue state plant, the Clean Air Day was commemorated with presentation to the Plant Director (PD), Heads of Departments, Unit Heads, Staff and Drivers on the types of emissions present in the plant processes, the hazards to human health and abatement measures with emphasis on the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and adherence to Dangote Health, Safety, Social and Environment golden rules.

The Clean Air Day at Obajana, Kogi State held with discussions with personnels across production lines on their roles in controlling particulate matter and gaseous emissions whilst ensuring effective cement operations. The plant maintenance team was enlightened on the two-abatement technology that had been adopted – the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and Bag Filter for the improvement of equipment maintenance for efficiency.

Similar activities were held Okpella Cement plant in Edo state, with the sensitization of staff on poor air quality and the impact of the business on the environment during a safety gate meeting.

The sensitization of management and frontline supervisors dwelled on the Importance of maintaining clean and healthy air which can be impacted by the different plant activities from clinker, and cement production to bagging and finally proper housekeeping. Management of plant then took a walk  to the emission-prone areas and location of emission control systems.

The Dangote Cement’s pan-Africa operations in Zambia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cameroun and South Africa among others, the Clean Air Day activities were centered on prevention and reduction of air pollution to improve air quality. The operations staff had sessions on the high cost of air pollution to the society due to the negative impacts on the economy, work productivity, healthcare costs and tourism, among others.

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ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

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ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

 

A total sum of N77.5 million in prize money was won at the end of a keenly contested hackathon session at the Fourth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI “, which held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The prize money was shared among ten finalists who emerged from the over 1,700 contestants that took part in the hackathon, with JumpnPass, a self-checkout technology solution reshaping the retail landscape in Africa emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N25 million. This is in addition to a six-week mentorship and incubation program designed to help them grow and scale effectively, which will run from December 2024 to February 2025.

The first runner-up, CreditChek, a credit and verification service provider which leverages AI and open banking to streamline income and credit history verification for financial institutions, won N20 million and a mentorship programme, while the second runner-up, Salad Africa, a start-up which offers seamless integration of credit products for digital platforms and software companies won N15 million as well as a mentorship programme. Other finalists who took home N2.5million each include Regxta, CashAfrica, Middleman, Messenger, Pocketfood, Famasi Africa, Kitovu.

Earlier during the programme, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, in her welcome address expressed her appreciation to the Founder & Chairman, Dr Jim Ovia, CFR, for birthing the idea that led to the establishment of the Tech Fair initiative 5 years ago, she thanked him for his vision and foresight in utilizing technology to revolutionize the world of business and banking.

Commenting on the Hackathon, she said, “This prestigious annual event was created to empower and nurture young fertile minds. We hope to produce the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk from the Zenith Bank Hackathons in the nearest future. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 70% of Nigeria’s population are youths which is an economic asset when properly harnessed. This is part of the reason why Zenith Bank is hosting this event to support the development of technology startups. Their success not only fosters innovation and growth in Nigeria, but it also plays a vital role in creating employment opportunities for our youth.” She also stressed on the importance of innovation and embedded finance in ensuring strong and enduring institutions. According to her, “it is paramount that we adapt and adopt technology to stay ahead of the curve. We have seen various cases of companies that failed because of their lack of innovation. It is quite obvious that when companies fail to innovate; they can easily be displaced, so this is not the time to be orthodox, innovation should be a top priority for us.”

In his goodwill message, The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu called for a global approach to doing business in the country. According to him, “What we need to do is to be able to enhance our product and services in order to compete in the world. We can’t continue to act local, we need to think global. Anything that we’re doing now, we need to be able to know that we are not just serving a local market, we actually want to serve the global market, and that’s why I’m glad that consistently, for the past four years, I have kept up with the Zenith Tech Fair. I am sure 5.0 should be bigger and better than what we have today, but for us as a government, what we need to do is to continue to use platforms like this to reassure you of our readiness to provide an enabling environment for your ideas and innovative solutions.”

Described as a huge success by participants, the Fair featured the launch of the bank’s digital wallet, EazyByZenith, which will help to support the bank’s retail and financial inclusion strategy. The fair also included presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Risk Management, Compliance, Financial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Communication Technologies, with the keynote address, “Banking Transformation in a Digital World”, delivered by Robin Speculand, a renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist.

The event also featured goodwill messages by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank; His Excellency, Hon. Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the Presidency on Economic Matters). Other eminent IT practitioners from top global brands who also made presentations include; Robin Speculand, renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist; Danilo McGarry, Global Expert on Digital Transformation and AI; Jania Okwechime, Partner, Africa, AI & Data Leader, Deloitte; Rupert Nicolay, Director, Microsoft Worldwide Financial Services.

The panel session had Wole Odeyele, Client Technology Lead for Microsoft Inc. as its host, and featured six discussants including Ada Jabaru, Founder & Director, Nistad Limited; Funke Opeke, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MainOne; Guy Futi, Chief Executive Officer, Orda; Dr Auwal Adam Sa’ad, Founder, ZamzamPay; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General/Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Zenith Bank startup pitch competition and incubation program seeks to identify and fast-track the growth of high-potential Nigerian startups innovating in key sectors, including Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity, Fintech, HealthTech, Agritech, E-commerce, and more. The program provides an ideal platform for startups to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and gain access to invaluable resources to scale their businesses.

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NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY

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NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY*

*_…begins review of bureau processes to enhance government procurement systems_*

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has outlined his vision to drive efficiency, enhance staff welfare, and reinforce the Bureau’s regulatory mandate in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope mandate and his commitment to improving Nigeria’s economy. This was made known during an interactive session with staff of the Bureau at the State House Banquet Hall on November 20, 2024. Dr Adedokun emphasised the urgency of delivering results as well as improving trust in the government procurement system to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, declaring, “Let us work together to get value for money for Nigeria’s developmental processes and achieve President Tinubu’s mandate of making Nigeria’s economy better.”

Furthermore, in a bid to strengthen operational efficiency, the DG also announced key reforms, including introducing Service Level Agreements for the bureau’s processes ensuring that letters are treated within 3 (three) days, and ensuring reports are completed within 14 (fourteen) days. He also highlighted plans to secure a sustainable budget that would improve the working environment and provide better welfare for staff.

Dr Adedokun firmly stated the Bureau’s resolve to uphold its regulatory integrity under his watch. He warned that officers are prohibited from visiting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) unless on official assignments stressing the need for officers of the Bureau to stay above board. He further declared that contractors are no longer allowed within the Bureau’s premises to ensure that officers can perform their duties without undue interference and influence.

Calling for a collaborative approach, the DG urged staff to embody the Bureau’s regulatory values by adhering to procurement guidelines, avoiding delays, and striving for excellence. “As a regulator, you must be seen to be guided by the procurement process,” he stated. He assured the team of an open-door policy, encouraging innovative ideas that could propel the Bureau to greater heights.

The session also featured a visit from former DG, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, OFR, FNSE, who led the Bureau from 2009 to 2016. Engr. Ezeh commended President Tinubu for appointing Dr Adedokun and urged staff to provide their full support to the new leadership. He encouraged staff to focus on leaving a legacy of excellence, saying, “Work in a way that you will be celebrated wherever you go in life.”

Senior Directors, including Engr. Nasir Bello and Engr. Isaiah Yesufu reiterated the importance of supporting the DG’s vision while emphasizing adherence to the Bureau’s operational guidelines. Staff also welcomed the session, sharing their perspectives on improving the Bureau’s operations and pledging their support for the new leadership.

In a related development, Dr Adedokun sought collaboration with the Presidential Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy (PODES) led by its Head, Mr O’tega Ogra, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media, during a courtesy visit to his office on November 21, 2024. The DG emphasized the need to enhance the Bureau’s public engagement and visibility in line with the all-of-government communications approach being espoused by the PODES.

Mr Ogra congratulated Dr Adedokun on his appointment and highlighted the key role BPP plays in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda. O’tega further expressed his commitment to collaborating with the Bureau in amplifying its communication efforts and ensuring Nigerians understand and appreciate its critical role in national governance.

Dr Adedokun’s leadership marks a new chapter for the Bureau of Public Procurement, focused on accountability, efficiency, and impactful service delivery. His vision aligns seamlessly with the Federal Government’s goals of economic transformation and sustainable development as well as President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

Janet McDickson
Director, Information & Public Relations/Head, Media-BPP

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Abducted Rivers bizman rescued, suspected robber arrested

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Abducted Rivers bizman rescued, suspected robber arrested

 

The Rivers State Police Command said its men rescued a businessman identified as Julius Madabuchi, who was kidnapped by a four-man gang at a filling station in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The police said the man was abducted when the miscreants who were driving in a Black Toyota car stormed the area and started shooting discriminately before executing their plan.

The rescue of the man, the police said, followed a distress call sent to the command control room about the activities of the hoodlums on November 17 and immediately mobilised operatives to the scene, saying the abductors engaged the police in a shootout.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Wednesday.

 

The statement reads, “On the 17th of November, 2014, at about 2023hrs, operatives of the command received a distress call from the Room indicating that a gang of armed men numbering about four operating in a Black colour Toyota Corolla car shot sporadically and kidnapped one Madabuchi Julius at Sabbath Filling Station, Oyigbo.

“Operatives were swiftly mobilised to the scene and the hoodlums on sighting the police operatives drove off, but they were given a hot chase by the operatives and subsequently intercepted along Egbu Street, Oyigbo and a gun duel ensued between the operatives and the hoodlums.

“The hoodlums could not withstand the police’s superior firepower and eventually abandoned the victim and their operational vehicle with registration number RIVERS PHC 938 AH and escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt and the vehicle recovered. He has since reunited with his family.”

 

The state police image maker however said an investigation is ongoing while concerted efforts are being intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang and recover their operational weapons.

In a related development, Iringe-Koko said the following day, precisely on Monday, operatives of the command acted on credible information, coordinated a covert operation at the St Lorinta Street, Oyigbo and arrested one Gabriel Morris, aged 25, at Mercy Ground in Kom-Kom, Oyigbo LGA of the State.

The state police spokesperson stated, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a syndicate that had been terrorising Oyigbo and its environs in recent times.

 

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, listed items recovered from the suspect including one locally made pistol and a quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

She added, “Investigation is ongoing, while concerted efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.

“This successful operation further demonstrates the effectiveness of the Rivers State Police Command in combating kidnapping and all other forms of crime in the state.”

 

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