Dr. Joe Abah Appointed DAI Nigeria Country Director [2017]

Dr. Joe Abah has been appointed as the Country Director for Nigeria by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) Global.

Originally trained as a barrister in Nigeria, Dr. Joe Abah gained extensive experience in the governance sector, working on public sector reform programs for the U.K. Prime Minister’s Office. He has spent more than 10 years managing governance programs in Nigeria for the U.K. Department for International Development, including on the DAI-led State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability project.

From 2013 to 2017, Joe took a post with the Government of Nigeria as Head of the Bureau for Public Sector Reform. He has now returned to DAI to serve as Country Director for Nigeria, where he provides technical and strategic inputs to DAI’s existing portfolio of projects, in addition to supporting business development initiatives.

  • Ph.D., Maastricht University, The Netherlands
  • M.A., business law, London Guildhall University, United Kingdom
  • Bachelor of Laws, law, University of Calabar, Nigeria

DAI, led the over seven year State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) project. The project focused on supporting responsive policy formulation and encourage performance-focused public service in Nigeria by helping state governments to improve revenue collection, reduce budgetary waste, and implement strategies for locally led planning.

The project was succeeded in 2016 by Accountable, Responsive, and Capable Government (ARC) program, which is billed to elapse in 2020.

In implementing ARC, DAI says it will take a collective action approach to reducing corruption and strengthening public accountability by working with stakeholders both inside and outside of government.

DAI’s mission is to make a lasting difference in the world by helping people improve their lives. DAI envision a world in which communities and societies become more prosperous, fairer and better governed, safer, healthier, and environmentally more sustainable.

NATCA Endorse Air Peace As Best Domestic Airline of the Year 2016/2017

The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) have endorsed Air Peace as the Best Domestic Airline of the Year 2016/2017.

The airline had recently emerged the winner of Interswitch’s ‘Payment Innovation Driver, Aviation’ award 2017.

Presenting the Best Domestic Airline of the Year award to Air Peace at the opening session of the 46th Annual General Meeting/Conference of NACTA in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the group stated:

“[Air Peace] is consistently transforming to being the largest domestic airline in Nigeria within the very short period of time it came on board. While other notable airlines and businesses are closing down under the harsh economic conditions, Air Peace keeps emerging and giving hope to other investors that Nigeria is still an investment destination. While others are reducing their workforce, Air Peace keeps opening new destinations and providing more connectivity and employment to Nigerians.”

Receiving the award, Air Peace gave credit to its staff for toiling to sustain the high quality of its flight operations. The airline, which was represented by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, commended NATCA for prioritising merit and guarding the integrity of its awards.

Air Peace described the award from NATCA as special, coming from a critical segment of aviation workers with the capacity to easily appraise the strengths and weaknesses of airlines in the country.

The carrier, which recently acquired two B777, six ERJ145 and a couple of B737 aircraft to bring its fleet size to about 24, assured that its expansion to the West Coast of Africa and international destinations, including Dubai, London, Guangzhou-China, Atlanta, Mumbai and Johannesburg, would ensure Nigeria did not continue to lose out in the open skies regime in the global aviation industry.

Iyanuoluwa Osewa & Kolawole Bello Emerge Cowbellpedia Mathematics Teachers Of Year 2017

Iyanuoluwa Osewa and Kolawole Bello have emerged the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Teachers of Year 2017 in the Junior and Senior categories respectively.

Iyanuoluwa Osewa and Kolawole Bello from The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State repeated the feat of their respective students who won last year’s Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show, sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited.

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Toyosi Craig Wins Nigeria Community Excellence Award 2017

Toyosi Craig, has been honoured with the Nigeria Community Excellence Award 2017 as the most outstanding student in South Africa. The award ceremony was held at the Encore Theater Complex, Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.

The most outstanding student category of the award was introduced this year and was sponsored by Old Mutual South Africa, to honour the best performing Nigerian student in the country. The category had over 400 students who took part in the contest.

Toyosi Craig, is a PhD student in Engineering Management with a special focus on solar energy at the Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

The 29 year-old, who just finished a project on development by innovation for Africa at Technical University of Munich, Germany, was chosen on his academic accomplishments and research innovations, particularly his area of research interest, which is innovation management and systems analysis.

Craig, expressed gratitude to God, the award organizer, his family and social media network, Penpushing, where he is a member, for the genuine support and encouragement from the members.

According to the Founder of Penpushing, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji:

“This noble platform, which you are a member, is proud of your feat in making your country, Nigeria, proud and bringing it to a global stage in a positive way and manner.

We wish to congratulate you on your award as the 2017 Most Outstanding Nigerian Student,” he said, adding: “No doubt, your sterling quality is a major factor which contributed to your emergence as the best among the 400 nominations.  This is remarkable, inspiring and encouraging.

As we congratulate you, we also encourage you to further show commitment and exhibit competence in your field of choice in your profession and other endeavours.

We pray that God will be your guide and guardian. Once again, accept our congratulatory message, and we wish you more successes.”

The Nigeria Community Excellence Award was attended by officials of the Nigerian High Commission and Consulate, top government officials from Nigeria, members of Nigerian community in South Africa, top South African government officials and members of African Diaspora.

Nigeria Wins 18 Medals At 2017 African Junior/Youths Weightlifting Championship

Nigerian weightlifters have won 18 medals in the 2017 African Junior/Youths Weightlifting Championship in Uganda.

The President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Mohammed Yahaya, disclosed that the weightlifters were the products of the 2017 National Youth Games in Ilorin.

In his words:

“I am very happy with the results of the competition because our weightlifters worked hard and made us proud. We won a total of 18 medals in all; 13 gold, four silver and one bronze.

We won nine gold medals in the female categories on the first day of the competition and we finally won up 18 medals at the end of the Championship.

With this performance, we have a chance to participate in next year’s Commonwealth Games.

We need to participate in one more Championship to meet the requirements of the World Weightlifting Federation.

Nigerian weightlifting Grade 2 referees were promoted to Grade 1 Category. They are: Nurudeen Suleiman (Bauchi), Evelyn Okuofor (Edo), and Bilkisu Musa (Jigawa).

They passed both the theory and the practical examination during the Championship; they are now recognised by the Africa and the World Weightlifting Federation.”

Nigeria Is Re-Elected Into UNHRC [2018-2020]

Nigeria has won a re-election into the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva for the 2018 to 2020 term at an election held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

According to the Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Ambassador Samson Itegboje:

“There were two slots for West Africa in the election and Ghana and Sierra Leone were also contesting.

However, we reached an understanding that West African countries could not be antagonising themselves and that we have to reach a compromise.

So we got Ghana and Sierra Leone to step down for Nigeria. But even at that, there were a lot of reach out we had to do beyond West Africa.

So this election has once again showed that Nigeria enjoyed a lot of goodwill not only among its West African bloc countries but also in Africa and across the world”.

The UNHRC is a United Nations system inter-governmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world.

With the re-election, Nigeria, currently serving out its 2015 to 2017 term, would be among the four countries representing West Africa and the 13 countries representing Africa in the 47-seat Council.

The other two countries on the council with Nigeria are Cote d’ Ivoire and Togo, which tenure expire in 2018.

Ghana and Nigeria are already serving out their tenure for the 2015 to 2017 term while Ghana, which initially sought the-election like Nigeria, stepped down for Nigeria to get on board of the Council.

Felix Ariguzo Emerge 2017 Maltina Teacher of the Year

Felix Ariguzo, a teacher with Mastercare International School, Asaba, Delta state, has emerged the Maltina Teacher of the Year for 2017.

Ariguzo was rewarded with ₦1 million at the grand finale of the competition which held in Lagos.

According to the organisers (Nigerian Breweries- Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund), Felix Ariguzo will receive ₦1 million every year for the next five years and also be sent for a training programme abroad.

The organisers also promised to build a block of six classrooms at the school where the winner teaches.

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