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CITAD Sub-Grantees Produced Locally -Made Hand Sanitizers And Face Masks

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By Ali Sabo

In the month of April, 2020 the Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD) got a grant from International Institute of Education and MacArthur Foundation to help in addressing the issue of COVID-19 in Kano State by creating awareness on how the virus was spreading among the people in the State, engaging of young people to help in propagating the knowledge on the need for social distancing, wearing of Face masks and regular hand washing, and creating awareness through the use of conventional and social media.

The trained youth who were selected from different communities in Kano State carried out different activities in their respective communities which helped in creating awareness about the virus in the state. During the training, CITAD was able to mobilize over 120 youths who were trained by experts on the areas of health, communication, social media and community mobilization virtually. These rigorous training sessions equipped the youth with better understating on how to engage their communities both online and offline.

CITAD Charges Kano Secondary Schools On ICT Inspired Learning

Following the training, CITAD invited the participants to submit application for mini projects to be carried out in their communities. Following a rigorous evaluation of the applications, 44 were given mini grants to carry out various interventions to promote public awareness and understanding about COVID 19 in their communities and to provide support in terms of linking communities to health authorities and agencies should the need arise such when individuals need testing.

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In the course of conducting their mini projects which were supported by CITAD some of the youths went extra miles to initiate activities around protective measures of COVID-19. Some of the fascinating ideas exhibited were the production of locally made hand sanitizers by 3 beneficiaries, Face masks by 9 beneficiaries; Ado Sunusi Sabongida, Ahmad Abbas Dalhatu, Aina’u Sarki, Zahra’u Waya, Basira Lawal, Fadil Muhammad, Hauwa Kassim Ahmad, Sale Bidillaji and Sumayya Dalhatu, and fliers in Hausa, Fulfulde and English and distributed to their community members. For the production of hand sanitizers, three of the sub-grantees produced different types of hand sanitizers, these hands sanitizers were distributed during the sensitization campaigns carried out by the sub-grantees. The production of Face masks was in addition to helping with this protective measures and also to draw the attention of youth to potential business opportunities.

The distribution of the hand sanitizers to the communities helped in accepting the campaigns by many as some people in the state do not believe in the existence of the virus before the sensitization campaigns and also many did not have money to buy either hand sanitizers to wash their hands or buy Face masks that they would be using to protect themselves. Many of the beneficiaries of the sensitization campaigns carried out by the sub-grantees had expressed their joy over the distributions of the hand sanitizers and the Face masks.

At Gyadi-Gyadi community of Tarauni Local Government where Aina’u Sarki, a beneficiary of CITAD mini grant who is also a community youth activist and community mobilizer conducted her sensitization campaign in her community, the community members were overjoyed on how they were given free locally made hand sanitizers after the training. One of the beneficiaries of the sensitization campaign, Malama Fatima Abdullahi of Gyadi-Gyadi community said she was very happy to receive the training, she continued to say that the training has helped her to understand the pandemic more and dispelled her previous stand denying the existence of the virus. She also thanked the organizer of the sensitization and CITAD for the hand sanitizers and Face masks given to her. Other beneficiaries that produced the locally handmade hand sanitizers were Ahmad Abbas Dalhatu, Mr. Ahmad is a youth activist and the co-founder of Rijiyar Zaki Progressive Association working on the area of improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in their community and Hauwa Kassim Ahmad, Mss. Hauwa is a women advocate working in the area of improving the lives of women in her community.

 

Ali Sabo is the
Campaigns and Communication Officer of the Centre for Information Technology and Development

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Breaking: Former Secretary of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Ahmadu Kurfi Passes On at 93

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Late Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi

 

A former secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away.

A family source, Jafar Yakubu, informed NIGERIAN TRACKER about the death of the pioneer secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, who supervised the 1979 general election.

 

Jafar Yakubu said Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi died at the age of 93 and his Janaza funeral prayers will take place by 2:30 PM at Kurfi in KATSINA state .

 

Dr. Amadu Kurfi, OFR, was born in 1931. He was a former chairman of the then Marketing Board, former Federal Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the first person to acquire a BSc degree in the whole of Katsina State, at University College London in 1957.

 

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President Tinubu Sacks UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Registrar

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The governing council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been dissolved by President Bola Tinubu.

The president dissolved the council and approved the removal of the institution’s vice-chancellor Bernard Odoh and the university registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the action by Tinubu follows allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

He also said that the council led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe and including five other members—Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin was accused of bypassing due process to appoint an unqualified candidate, prompting federal intervention.

Onanuga said, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.

He added that following the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address the rivalry between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process”, Onanuga added.

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Boost for Nigeria’s Oil Production, As NNPC’s Utapate Crude Grade Hits Global Oil Market

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Managing Director, NNPC E & P Limited (NEPL), Mr. Nicholas Foucart speaks at the official unveiling of the Utapate crude oil blend during the Utapate Crude Roadshow held on the sidelines of the 2024 Argus European Crude Conference in London, United Kingdom, on Wednesday.

 

 

In a major boost for Nigeria’s crude oil production, revenue generation and
economic growth efforts, the NNPC Ltd has officially unveiled its latest crude oil
grade, the Utapate crude oil blend, before the international crude oil market.

It would be recalled that in July, 2024, NNPC Ltd and its partner, the Sterling Oil
Exploration & Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) Ltd introduced the Utapate
crude oil blend, following the lifting of first cargo of 950,000 barrels which headed
for Spain.

During a ceremony held at the Argus European Crude Conference taking place in
London, United Kingdom, on Wednesday, the Managing Director, NNPC E & P
Limited (NEPL), Mr. Nicholas Foucart described the introduction of the Utapate
crude oil blend into the market as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s crude oil
export to the global energy market.

“Since we started producing the Utapate Field in May 2024, we have rapidly
ramped up production to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) with minimum downtime.
So far, we have exported five cargoes, largely to Spain and the East Coast of the
United States; while two more additional cargoes have been secured for November
and December 2024, representing a significant boost to Nigeria’s crude oil export
to the global market,” Foucart told a packed audience of European crude oil
marketers.
He added that since its introduction into the global market, the Utapate crude oil
blend has enjoyed a positive response from the international crude oil market, due
to its highly attractive qualities.
Foucart said the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13, fully operated by NEPL and Natural
Oilfield Services Ltd (NOSL), a subsidiary of SEEPCO Ltd, boasts a huge reserves of
330million barrels of crude oil reserves, 45 million barrels of condensate and 3.5 tcf
of gas.
“We have a number of ongoing projects to increase our production from the
current 40,000bopd to 50,000bopd by January 2025 and 60,000bopd to
65,000bopd by June 2025. Essentially, we are targeting opportunities to increase
production to 80,000bopd by the end of 2025,” Foucart added.He said the Utapate crude oil terminal is sustainable, affordable and fully compliant
with the rigorous environmental regulations and sustainability principles especially
those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and other ecological effects.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of NNPC Trading Ltd (NTL), Mr. Lawal Sade
said the pricing structure of the Utapate crude oil blend is similar to that of
Amenam crude as it is a light sweet crude which is highly sought after by refiners
across the world due to its low sulphur content, efficient yield of high-value
products, API gravity and other similarities.
He said in bringing the new crude oil blend to the global market, NNPC Ltd wanted
to optimise value for both its producers and counterparties across the globe.
He added to ensure predictability and sustainability of supply, the NNPC Trading
intends to run a term contract on the Utapate crude oil blend cargoes, principally
targeting off-takers from the European and the US East Coast refineries.
Produced from the Utapate field in OML 13 in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, the
Utapate crude oil blend is similar to the Nembe crude oil grade. It has a low sulphur
content of 0.0655% and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting
perfectly into the required specification of major buyers in Europe.
The NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL partnership is also committed to operating in a
manner that is safe, environmentally responsible, and beneficial to the local
communities.
The Utapate field development plan, executed between 2013-2019 and approved in
October, included converting wells and facilities from swamp/marine to land-
based operations.
The plan involved a multi-rig drilling campaign for 40 wells and the development
of significant infrastructure such as production facilities, storage tank, a subsea
pipeline and an offshore loading platform to facilitate crude oil evacuation and
loading.

The entry of the Utapate crude oil blend into the market is coming barely a year
after the NNPC Ltd announced the launch of Nembe crude oil, produced by the
NNPC/Aiteo operated Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 Joint Venture (JV).

In a statement by Olufemi O Soneye Chief corporate communications officer NNPCL said the remarkable achievement signals the commitment of the NNPC Ltd to
increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and growing its reserves through the
development of new assets.

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