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Numbers To Ponder

NEMA renews commitment amid 68 deaths from flooding

By Akudo Ogu

December 08, 2020

129,000

Wreckage from floods may be mainstream, but the extent of its destruction might be novel. According to the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammadu Muhammed, the floods wreaked havoc on at least 129,000 persons this year. This number covers losses counted in all flood-affected states. In all, the agency reported 68 fatalities in all 35 states, including FCT. Mr Muhammadu disclosed this during the 2020 Flood After Action Review Technical Meeting which took place in Abuja on Monday. He also lamented that the flood also destroyed properties, farmlands, making it harder for people to survive. In response, he said NEMA has become active in supporting state emergency management agencies to handle the situation. 

5 Million

On to the issue of subsidy; fertiliser subsidy, not fuel subsidy. According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, his agency registered five million farmers for this subsidy through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI). This program aims to encourage local fertiliser production and better distribution to farmers. Further, the agency created a support database to help farmers track their fertilizer supplies. Me Nanoo said that this was an excellent way to help especially the small scale farmers amid all the hardships in the country. 

72

By next Monday, 72 legal practitioners recently promoted to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) will be sworn in. The Chief of Justice (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, will be performing the swearing-in. The family members and well-wishers of the practitioners won’t be able to enter the courtroom to watch because of the COVID-19 guidelines. After the swearing-in, the Chief of Justice will give the country a rundown of how the 2019/2020 legal year went as it ended 11 September 2020.

250,000

The ongoing pandemic has wreaked damage upon business owners that are beyond repairable. Because of this, the federal government has announced that 250,000 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will be registered for free. This effort is to tackle unemployment and empower youths supposedly. Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, the Minister for Industry, Trade, and Investment, revealed this on Monday. He stated that according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the youths make up 64% of the total unemployed Nigerians, so empowering the child is a beneficial thing to do.