"We've issued identity numbers to 41 million Nigerians" - NIMC

As at this morning, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says that it has enrolled and issued 41 million Nigerians with National Identity Number.

In an interview with journalists, the Director-General of the NIMC, Aliyu Aziz said that enrolment is currently on for Nigerians in the Diaspora in 15 other countries.

According to him, the NIN has been approved by the Federal Government as the only valid means of identification for government services by law and is a requirement for the application for a new and renewal of an expired Nigerian passport, among others.

Highlighting challenges slowing down the rate of enrolment, he said inadequate electricity, Information Technology infrastructure, inadequate enrolment centres and devices and insufficient sensitisation and awareness of the public, among others, still persisted.

According to him, the challenges are being addressed in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders, government and with the help of the media.

“As of today, we have reached record 41 million by sheer determination and hard work. I owe all of this to the great staff of the NIMC who pushed themselves beyond their limits to see this happen.

Diaspora enrolment was greatly received by the Nigerians in other countries and it has been going well since the launch. Enrolment is happening in over 15 countries across the world, with more countries to come on board in the near future.”

He said the plans to implement the strategic road map for accelerating digital identity in the country in June 2020 had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the project will either begin in September or December this year.

Aziz said the $433m it secured from the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development and the European Union would be used for the expansion of enrolment centres to 4,000.

“The funding covers digital ID enrolment, issuance and usage; strengthening of the enabling law, security, privacy, data protection and cybersecurity mechanisms; as well as strengthening the IT and other backend infrastructure,” the NIMC boss stated.

He added, “There is still a need for funding on the card aspect of the programme as well as on the other regulatory functions of the commission. We are consulting with the Federal Government on these aspects.”

Aziz explained that the commission was working on strategies to scale up card production and issuance in partnership with the private sector. However, he said NIN was sufficient to prove or assert the identity of Nigerians anytime, anywhere.

China targets July launch for Mars mission

CASC, the company in charge of China's launch has revealed that China is targeting a July launch for its ambitious plans for a Mars mission which will include landing a remote-controlled robot on the surface of the red planet.

Beijing has invested billions of dollars in its space programme in an effort to catch up with its rival the United States and affirm its status as a major world power.

The Mars mission is among a number of new space projects China is pursuing, including putting Chinese astronauts on the moon and having a space station by 2022.

Beijing had been planning the Mars mission for some time this year, but China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has confirmed it could come as early as July.

“This big project is progressing as planned and we are targeting a launch in July,” CASC said in a statement issued on Sunday. CASC is the main contractor for China’s space programme.

Called “Tianwen”, the Chinese mission will put a probe into orbit around Mars and land the robotic rover to explore and analyse the surface.

It will take several months to cover the roughly 55 million kilometres (31 million miles) distance between Earth and Mars, which is ever-changing due to their planetary orbits.

China has already carried out a similar mission to the Moon, and in January 2019 landed a small rover on the dark side of the lunar surface, becoming the first nation to do so.

The US, which has already sent four exploratory vehicles to Mars, intends to launch a fifth this summer. It should arrive around February 2021.

The United Arab Emirates plans to launch the first Arab probe to the Red Planet on July 15 from Japan.

World airlines and airports council seek united safety measures for restart of air travels

Yesterday, World airlines and airports’ council sought a globally acceptable and harmonised safety and security measures ahead of the restart of air travel in many parts of the world.

The meeting was bordered on some of the selective safety measures such as the compulsory 14-day quarantine for arriving passengers in some countries including Nigeria, and physical distancing onboard. Such measures have been described as unsustainable and injurious to the already beseiged aviation business.

The Airports Council International (ACI) World, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), specifically called on governments to ensure that any new measures introduced for airports and airlines in the wake of COVID-19 are supported by scientific evidence and are consistent across the world.

Just like most other sectors, the aviation sector has been brought to a halt. Its effective restart and recovery depends on collaboration among the key participants in the global aviation ecosystem.

ACI and IATA jointly issued a paper laying out a pathway for restarting the aviation industry, titled: “Safely Restarting Aviation – ACI and IATA Joint Approach.” Airlines and airports have cooperated to build a roadmap for resuming operations, which reassures the travelling public that health and safety remain the overall priorities.

The joint approach proposes a layered approach of measures across the entire passenger journey to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 at airports and onboard aircraft, and to prevent aviation becoming a meaningful source of international re-infection.
Such measures should be globally consistent and subject to continued review, improvement, and removal when no longer required, to ensure an even recovery.

ACI and IATA are both central members of the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART), being led by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). CART enables the collaboration – among governments and between governments and industry – that is vital to ensuring the harmonisation and consistency of measures that are essential to restoring air connectivity and passenger confidence in air travel.

ACI World Director General, Angela Gittens, said airports and airlines had come together with ICAO and the wider aviation industry to address the biggest challenge ever faced by commercial aviation in restarting a global industry while continuing to halt the spread of COVID-19.

“There is currently no single measure that could mitigate all the risks of restarting air travel but we believe a globally-consistent, outcome-based approach represents the most effective way of balancing risk mitigation with the need to unlock economies and to enable travel,” Gittens said.

IATA’s Director-General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, added that safety was always their top priority and that includes public health.

“Restoring air connectivity is vital to restarting the global economy and reconnecting people. Our layered approach to measures recommended by airports and airlines safeguard public health, while offering a practical approach for a gradual restart of operations.

It is important to remember that the risk of transmission on board is very low. And we are determined that aviation will not be a significant source of re-infection. We are working continuously with governments to ensure that any measures put in place are done so consistently and with scientific backing. That is key to restoring public confidence so the benefits of safely re-starting aviation can be realised,” de Juniac said.

Anambra and Delta States hold meetings to curtail movement on the Niger bridge

The governments of Anambra and Delta States are currently holding meetings which is aimed at curtailing the movement of people on the Niger bridge. Talks are being held to control the movement of of people who are defying the Presidential order restricting inter-state movements by still making use of the bridge.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Adinuba made this known in an interview with reporters in Onitsha on Monday. He spoke about the destruction of the barricade built by Governor Willie Obiano at the Asaba-end of the bridge which was carried out by youths of Delta State.

He further revealed that it was the destruction of the barricade that prompted the meeting where the two governments agreed to jointly curtail the human traffic on the bridge. He said,

“Top officials of both Delta and Anambra State governments have met thrice today and will meet again tomorrow or so. The meeting is to conclude arrangements on how to check the influx of people, who defy the presidential order restricting inter-state movements as part of the far-reaching measures to check the spread of COVID-19."

According to him, the meetings have been held amicably.

“Subsequent meetings will follow the same trajectory of peace and solidarity as each party is quite committed to the battle against the coronavirus pandemic,” Adinuba said.

Stephanie Linus kicks off a hygiene campaign

Nollywood actress, Stephanie Linus is spearheading a purposeful and long-term change of lifestyle among Nigerians as the world grapples with the coronavirus disease. She is kicking off a hygiene campaign to create awareness and help increase the prevention of transmission of diseases from one person to another.

The campaign wit the title “Hygiene First – My New Habit” is directed at creating the conscious awakening of good hygiene habits among people and communities in Nigeria and get Nigerians to take responsibility for their personal and community hygiene.

Maintaining good health and sustaining the beauty of our city all starts with you; we all can commit to good health and cleaner cities by practicing the simple steps of deliberately identifying new habits we need to form.

Practicing good hygiene develops a person’s self-worth and self-confidence. It benefits our own health and impacts the lives of others around us. From regular hand washing, to proper waste disposal, deep cleaning of homes and public spaces such as streets, markets, schools and hospitals, this campaign is geared towards encouraging simple tips and ideas that families can integrate into their daily lives.

These changes, when positive and deliberate, help in shaping our lives far more than we probably realize. The “Hygiene First – My New Habit” campaign is an initiative of the Extended Hands Foundation.

Graphic : Fulani Herdsmen launch fresh attacks on Kaduna communities

Again, Fulani herdsmen have launched attacks on at least five villager and displaced residents of seven communities in Kaduna State.

From 19th to 24th May, the armed herdsmen attacked Idazau, Etissi, Bakin Kogi, Dutsen Gora, UN Gora, Pushu Kallah and Magunguna villages. They left 5 persons dead, 78 injured, destroyed 607 houses and rustled 231 cows in their wake.

It was also gathered that at least 51 people are missing after the attacks. A resident revealed that they are scared of going back to claim their dead as their villages are still occupied by their attackers.

Some churches such as the Catholic Church in Idazau, ECWA in Etiissi, ECWA in Bakin Kogi and ECWA in Magunguna were reported burnt to the ground during the attacks.

Marlian Day : Naira Marley announces online concert

The National President of Marlians, Naira Marley, has named 30th May as a free online concert to mark the Marlian Day. Being the first ever edition of the event, the concert appears to be huge for the Nigerian singer.

He revealed that he will be bringing the live concert experience to his fans in the comfort of their homes from 6:30 to 7:30 pm on the said day. All you need to do to be a part of the concert is subscribe to Naira Marley’s Youtube channel and Gidi Fest Facebook page.

He revealed that the live online concert will feature his hit tracks “Soapy”, “Tesumole”, Marlians anthem “Opotoyi”. It'll feature special guests, WurlD and Zlatan alongside Marlian Music artists, Zinolesky, Moh Bad and Cblvck as well.

WHO suspends trials of hydroxychloriquine

The World Health Organization said Monday it had “temporarily” suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.

The decision came after the publication last week of a study in the Lancet indicating that using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

Tedros said that the executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across several countries have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had as a precaution suspended trials using that drug.

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“The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board,” Tedros said.

“The other arms of the trial are continuing,” he stressed.

Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald Trump — who announced last week he is taking the drug — has prompted governments to bulk buy the medicine.

Brazil’s health minister also recommended last week using hydroxychloroquine, as well as the anti-malarial chloroquine, to treat even mild COVID-19 cases.

The Lancet study found that both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.

And neither drug benefitted patients hospitalised with COVID-19, according to a Lancet study, which looked at the records of 96,000 patients across hundreds of hospitals.

Tedros stressed Monday that the two drugs “are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria.”

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan meanwhile told Monday’s briefing that the WHO-backed Solidarity Trial had been looking only at the effects of hydroxychloroquine and not chloroquine.

The decision on suspending enrolment for trials using hydroxychloroquine was “a temporary measure”, she said.

“We’re just acting by precaution,” WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan agreed.

COVID-19 : Africa has higher recovery rate than North America

Data obtained from Worldometer has shown that Africa has recorded a higher percentage of COVID-19 recoveries than North America.

According to COVID-19 figures for Monday, May 25, the entire continent had, at the time of writing this report, recorded 113,990 cases.

Out of this number, 46,378 had recovered – a ratio of 40.7 per cent. On the other hand, North America has identified 1,880,853 positive cases, 562,629 of them had recovered – 29.9 per cent.

North America is made up of the USA, which has more than one million COVID-19 cases and 99,300 deaths, Mexico, Canada, and a host of small Island nations.

The African continent also has a higher percentage of recovered cases than South America, which is now the present epicentre of the pandemic.

Most of its 633,783 cases are from Brazil. The continent has reported 242,207 recoveries, a percentage of 38.2. Europe with 46.5 per cent, Asia with 58 per cent and Oceania with 92.7 per cent recovery, all rank better than Africa however.

On the killing rate of the virus per continent, Africa – 3.0 per cent, has a lower ratio than Europe 8.9 per cent, North America – 6.1 per cent and South America – 5.0 per cent.

Many deaths linked to COVID-19 have, however, not been recorded across these continents. Oceania with a death rate of 1.4 per cent and Asia with 2.8 per cent, have recorded fewer deaths per infection than all other regions of the world.

Despite Africa having a higher recovery rate than the Americas, its input in the WHO solidarity drug trial is next to nothing.

The global health body is testing these drug combinations for the treatment of COVID-19: Rendesivir; tested in the USA, Ritonavir and Lopinavir, first tested in China, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine, first studied In France and China.

The scientists who conducted the first trial of Ritonavir and Lopinavir on infected Coronavirus patients found that it did not provide ‘significant benefit in patients admitted with severe COVID-19.’

The WHO and Western governments have neglected the adaptation of herbal therapies, despite the protocols for the use of certain natural treatments.

Experts have also accused governments across the globe, of failing to conduct clinical trials on known natural antiviral solutions, making it difficult to determine their dosage levels.

Two researchers, Alberto Boretti and Binal Banik, wrote in a paper calling for clinical trials to be conducted on the efficacy of Vitamin C. in treating COVID-19 that.

“Many physicians in China have identified promising results using IV – intravenous Vit-C against COVID-19. Thus, there is a need to urgently review the uses of IV Vit-C, pre- and post-infection, and during different stages of the infection. IV Vit-C is helping to develop a stronger immune system response, reducing the cytokines storm, or increasing antiviral activities through other unknown mechanisms,” the report read.

A team of scientists in Chin, have also started a trial on the natural antiviral alternative, saying their results will be out by September.

Yet, Ascorbic acid has not been adopted into the WHO’s fast-tracked solidarity COVID-19 drug trial programme.

Strange ailment like COVID-19 plagues Rivers State

Reports reaching us has revealed that a strange ailment which has a resemblance to COVID-19 is ravaging an area of Rivers State.

The ailment which is reportedly killing a lot of people in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State has the same symptoms as the pandemic COVID-19. We learnt that about 12 people are dead already as a result of the disease invasion.

“Fubara died yesterday, Pauline died a day before yesterday. Within two weeks, there are up to 11 persons who have died,” said Ezekiel, who resides in the community.

“As of today (Sunday), the NCDC (Nigeria Center for Disease Control) officials are in town and taking samples from volunteers to test for COVID-19 and will soon make their findings public.

A lot of people in Bonny now have malaria and typhoid. Again, over the past one week, many people have lost their senses of smell and taste. That is the worry we have. The next thing we saw after that incident is that some young men started dying."