Green businesses for biodiversity and climate action @Colombian Pacific - ITREALMS

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It’s the crack of dawn. Magnolia Ordoñez leaves in a small boat along with her husband - the captain- and her colleagues— all women. Their task: to find and collect pianguas, a type of saltwater clam, that lives buried within the roots of mangrove trees in the Pacific region of Colombia.

Reaching the pianguas is no easy endeavour. They must find the right place to anchor, always a different spot from their last harvest, to ensure sustainability. Magnolia then jumps overboard, climbs a wall of mud and walks as far as possible into the mangrove forest, jumping and weaving through long roots. She lights incense to ward off mosquitoes and takes a moment to sing to the mangroves, thanking them for the food they provide. Then, she wades through the mud, sometimes reaching above her knees, to carefully dig up the clams. With each piangua she unearths, she checks its size and takes only the mature ones. This labour-intensive process is a race against the rising tide.

NITDA partners Education Ministry to embed digital literacy - ITREALMS

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To foster the digital literacy, cultivate talents and empower Nigerians with the knowledge and skills needed, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has initiated a partnership with the Ministry of Education to revolutionise the country's educational system, reports ITREALMS.

This visionary effort to integrate digital literacy comprehensively into Nigeria’s educational framework came to light during a courtesy visit to the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, by DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa and his management team on Friday.

NCDMB underscores commitment to anti-corruption, awards prizes to debate winners - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to preventive mechanism against corrupt practices in its internal operations and interface with stakeholders as well as transparency in local content implementation processes.

The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made the commitment on Thursday at the Nigerian Content Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at an event organised by the Board to mark the international anti-corruption day.

SAT visits Vice Chairman, Baale @Ifelodun LCDA, strengthen health facilities - ITREALMS

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The Lagos State Advocacy Team (SAT) of the AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) Malaria (ATM) Networks, has paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Chairman Ifelodun Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Adetoun Bolanle to intimate on the activities of the organisation to strengthen the primary health centres, reports ITREALMS.

The ATM team lead, Mrs Ifelunwa Aipoh emphasized the need to briefed the vice chairman who also is the Supervisory Councilor for Health on the organisations activities in the communities which is aimed in identifying issues at the health care centres by the Community Based Organisations (CBOs), reaching out to stakeholders in the community to resolve such, while the unreserved issues are escalated to the local government or to the state for appropriate intervention.

Dantsoho@Onne: Eastern ports positioned for increased investment - ITREALMS

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho was on tour of operational and investment campaign to Onne and Rivers Port Complexes, declaring that eastern ports is positioned to increase investment, reports ITREALMS.

The two-day visit last Wednesday and Thursday, came on the heels of his tour of Lagos Ports of Apapa and TinCan earlier on 27th November, 2024 signposts the current administration's readiness to deepen Nigeria's competitiveness in vessel and cargo traffic to match the needs of Nigeria's huge population of over 200 million inhabitants.

FCCPC recants, says FG not investigating AirPeace - ITREALMS

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has recanted earlier invitation to Air Peace, saying it was simply for an inquiry to understand its price methodology and respond to consumers complaints. 

ITREALMS recalls that a few days back, FCCPC had proclaimed its searchlight on three sectors, namely banking, telecoms and aviation with investigation centred on customers' complaints with targets on GTBank, MTN and Air Peace in that order.

Zenith Bank expands global footprints with Paris branch - ITREALMS

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The Zenith Bank Plc has expanded its global footprints with the recent commissioning of Zenith Bank (UK), Paris Branch.

clients.

The official commissioning, which took place on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 21 Rue de la paix, Paris, France was performed by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun.

Dangote, Benue communities seal development pact - ITREALMS

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It was a jubilation galore in Gboko, Benue State, on Wednesday as Dangote Cement Plc and six host communities signed historic Community Development Agreement (CDA), reports ITREALMS.

The landmark accord, which commits Dangote Cement to multimillion-naira development initiatives, was celebrated as a transformative milestone, with the communities pledging to uphold a peaceful coexistence.

CBN: Our early exit package is voluntary - ITREALMS

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dismissed claims of forced mass retirements, clarifying that its Early Exit Package (EEP) is entirely voluntary and without any negative repercussions for eligible staff, reports ITREALMS.

The Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, disclosed this as the outcome of extensive consultations with the Bank’s Joint Consultative Council (JCC), a body representing staff interests.

2025: PIN plans expansion into six countries, dangles collaboration, training for digital inclusion – ITREALMS

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The Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has advanced plans to expand operations into some six African countries in the coming year, 2025, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this at a media end of year session in Lagos, the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said that their goal is to expand to 50 African countries by 2028, but for the 2025 short term goal, PIN will strive to focus on three targets, namely expansion, collaboration and training.

According to him, for the expansion in the next 12 months, PIN will dedicate time on having physical presence in at least six African countries, although he did not mention the names of the anticipated six countries but optimistic its achievable.

Sesan also said that PIN intends to work collaboratively with more Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) where they operate, stressing, for instance, they have advanced collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to engage recruits at the Police Colleges nationwide on digital rights of citizens and how best to build that in their workload.

In addition, he said they are planning to engage prosecutors in the Ministry of Justice to better understand their roles in the defence or otherwise on relevant statutes, capable of advancing their work.

Further, PIN Executive Director, accompanied by the Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu and Communications Officer, Kenneth Oyiniyi, pointed out that they would be conducting more media training in the coming year to underscore digital inclusion in the media space and enable them to enhance reportage of the industry.

Earlier, the COO, Mrs Nnenna Pual-Ugochukwu traced the humble beginning of PIN to a cyber cafe in Ajegunle as a non-profit organisation that thrives in shaping policies, defending rights and building capacity in the digital environment towards a digitally inclusive and rights-respecting world.

Till date, PIN, she said, has regional offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe to name a few, stressing they are working to connect under-served African youth with improved livelihoods through digital inclusion and digital rights programmes.

Some of the programmes, ITREALMS gathered include the Life Skills, ICT, Financial Readiness, Entrepreneurship (LIFE) training initiatives to name a few.

Chuks Egbune/DoP