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BREAKING: FG places travel ban on China, Italy, US, UK, nine others
The Federal Government on Wednesday placed a travel ban on 13 high-risk Coronavirus countries.
The countries are China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
The government said the travel restriction was placed on countries with over a thousand cases of the novel Coronavirus.
It added that the ban would take effect on Friday, March 20 and it would last for four weeks and was subject to review.
The government also announced the temporary suspension of all visas issued to nationals from these countries.
Details later…
March 18, 2020
Football Associations (FAs) in UK outlaw primary school children from heading in training
Heading the ball in training sessions has been outlawed for primary school children under the age of 12 in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This is part of the Football Association’s updated “heading guidance” for the game.
The English, Northern Irish and Scottish Football Associations said in a statement on Monday that they are also restricting the headers for 12 to 16-year-olds at grassroots level with immediate effect.
The heading guidelines follow last year’s publication of Football’s Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk (FIELD) study undertaken by Glasgow University, which found former professionals were at more risk of dementia.
The FA said the new guidelines will take effect immediately but it will not recommend an end to headers during youth matches.
“This updated heading guidance is an evolution of our current guidelines and will help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football,” FA chief executive officer Mark Bullingham said.
“Our research has shown that heading is rare in youth football matches. So, this guidance is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching without impacting the enjoyment that children of all ages take from playing the game.”
The FA confirmed the updated heading guidance has been produced in line with UEFA’s medical committee, which is seeking to publish Europe-wide guidelines later this year.(Reuters/NAN)
February 24, 2020
9 Nigerians to take part in TRCN online exams in UK, USA, others
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says nine Nigerians will take part in its Professional Qualifying Examinations (PQE) in UK, USA, Canada and South Africa. Mr Gbolahan Emilolobo, Head, Certification and Licensing of the council made this known during a meeting with State Coordinators and Technical Committee on Instruments for Monitoring of Disengagement of Unqualified Teachers in Abuja on Thursday. Emilolobo said the council had launched an online platform for its PQE sometimes in September 2019 that would allow Nigerians in Diaspora to register.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TRCN through the National Council on Education (NCE) made a move on the compulsory PQE as Dec. 31, 2019 was set as deadline for unqualified teachers to be weeded out of the sector. This is in a bid to sanitise the school system as well as riding the nation’s education sector especially the basic and secondary schools of quacks and unprofessional teachers. “The online platform was launched in September 2019, we had the first batch consisted about six candidates and the examination took place in November. “The council started its operations as far back as 2001 and Nigerians been what we are, the nonchalant attitude put up by some when they are in the country which they thought they have nothing to do with the TRCN certificate. “By the time they got outside the country, there usually a problem that you cannot practice without having the TRCN certificate so they have to start writing us letter of professional standing for them to be able to affirm that they are practicing in the country. “The PQE have both local and international. For those who have left without the PQE will have to sit for the exam. So the second batch is coming up today in four countries. “We try and enlighten Nigerians that the exam is not for local teachers alone but also international teachers.’’ Emilolobo added: “We have a kind of relationship between Nigeria and other nations in as much that we cannot take their certificate without qualifying exam, the same thing happens with them.’’ He, therefore, called on management of schools especially the private schools to as a matter of urgency implore their teachers to register before actions would begin to weed them out of the system.
February 6, 2020
Uk provides $78m for youth empowerment against terrorism in Nigeria
The United Kingdom says it is currently supporting initiatives to increase economic opportunities for marginalised youth in northern Nigeria with development funding worth nearly 50 million dollars (N15 billion).
Mr James Roscoe, the UK Ambassador on General Assembly Matters to the United Nations, stated this at a UN Security Council meeting on peace and security in West Africa, in New York on Monday.
Roscoe said the UK was providing additional 28 million dollars (N8.5 billion) in funding for projects to “reduce young people’s vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremist groups” in Borno.
The gestures, according to him, are part of the UK’s contributions, working with its partners in West Africa, to support domestic efforts at preventing extremism and intercommunal violence in the region.
Earlier at a briefing, Mohamed Chambas, Special Representative and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), said the region had been “shaken by unprecedented violence” in recent months.
Chambas said “relentless attacks on civilian and military targets have shaken public confidence”, citing last week’s attack by militants on a military base in western Niger that left 71 soldiers dead.
He blamed the situation partly on poor management of national resources, inequalities and marginalisation, corruption and the failure of governments in the region to provide security and justice.
The special envoy, however, noted that “recipes against violent extremism” were being put in place in many West African countries.
Specifically, chambas said that some grassroot initiatives, such as inter-faith coalitions in Nigeria, were in place to curtail recruitments by Boko Haram.
He added that grassroots reconciliation initiatives were being evaluated across the region for bilateral assistance at the country level.
The security council, he said, could play a decisive role in accompanying such efforts and more.
He reminded the council that, in addition to donor and technical support, assistance on security-related and law enforcement matters remains vital.
“Curbing the financial and supply corridors used by armed groups, and the links with illegal trade, requires international cooperation.
“Targeted sanctions and other measures recommended by panels of experts, are relevant for leverage,” Chambas recommended.
In separate remarks, council members stressed the need for efforts to be focused tackling the underlying causes of violent extremism and intercommunal conflicts in the region. (NAN)
December 17, 2019