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FBRA Appoints Agharese Lucia Onaghise as Executive Secretary to Steer Alliance’s Goal

The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has appointed Agharese (Arese) Lucia Onaghise, as the Executive Secretary of the Alliance to drive its ambitious goal towards building a sustainable recycling economy for food and beverage packaging waste in Nigeria.

Arese has over 17 years cognate experience which cuts across Health Safety Environmental Consulting, Non-Governmental Organisation, Local Authority, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Oil and Gas and is a thorough bred Eco-Consultant has a postgraduate degree in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London and also holds a B.Sc. Degree in Microbiology, from University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

With her new position, she holds the mandate to drive the various campaigns and initiatives of FBRA as a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to fruition, with her wealth of experience.

This would further strengthen the recovery of food and beverage packaging waste in compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy of the Federal Government.

Prior to her new role at FBRA, she was Project Safety Health and Environmental Manager at Delta Afrik Engineering / Worley on the Mobil Producing Nigeria Projects then served as a Waste Minimisation/ Recycling Advisor at Hyder Consulting; Waste Watch and Business Eco Group in the United Kingdom; she also had a stint as Technical Officer at World Health Organisation, in Bonn, Germany.

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She was also a Research Assistant at Imperial College, London and an Environmental Analyst Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

FBRA’s Vice Chairman, Adekunle Olusuyi, while commenting on the appointment affirmed that it is necessary at this time of intensified efforts on community campaigns on waste management, which involves proper waste disposal and separation, recycling initiatives, environmental conservation and collaboration with various State Governments on cleaner and litre free environment

He said to further strengthen the role of the Alliance, FBRA has ensured that its executive secretary would coordinate its activities to attain the desired goals, as a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO)for the food and beverage sector. We are excited about the positive impact this will have on our industry, and the nation at large.

On her part, the Executive Secretary pledged to effectively drive the initiatives of FBRA to enviable heights, taking cognisance of the accolades it has received from stakeholders in the waste management sector, Lagos State Government and the National Environmental Standard Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

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Founded in December 2013, FBRA has membership drawn from responsible and forward-thinking companies which includes Nigerian Bottling Company Limited/Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, International Breweries Limited, Tulip Cocoa, and Prima Caps and Preforms.

With its collection partners, RecyclePoints, West African Energy and Chanjadati among others, FBRA has been embarking on enlightenment campaigns in curbing environmental pollution caused by food and beverage packaging waste, promoting proper disposal and separation of plastics that have in some ways contributed to flooding in Nigerian cities.

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Police Arrest Former Lagos Gubernatorial Candidate over Funke Akindele-Bello Party

Former gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has been detained by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly contravening lockdown order declared by the State Government to curtail coronavirus spread.

Gbadamosi was detained after being spotted in a viral video attending a birthday party organised by Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele-Bello for her husband, Abdul-Rasheed Bello, held in Amen Estate, Ibeju-Lekki axis of the state.

A police source at the command headquarters revealed that Gbadamosi has been detained and may not be released by the law enforcement agency for engaging in an act that was at variance with the law.

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COVID-19: Buhari approves recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the engagement of 774,000 Nigerians on Special Public Works programme in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Ahmed disclosed this at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock, on Monday in Abuja.

She explained that 1, 000 people were expected to be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

According to her, the sum of N60 billion for allowances and operational cost has been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund for the initiative.

She disclosed that President Buhari had previously approved a pilot special public works programme in eight states to be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment, NDE.

She added that Buhari had now approved that this programme be extended to all 36 States and the FCT from October to December 2020 and the selected time-frame was to ensure that it was implemented after the planting season.

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“The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning is also evaluating how best to extend the Special Public Works Programme, to provide modest stipends for itinerant workers to undertake Roads Rehabilitation and Social Housing Construction.

Ahmed said: “And also Urban and Rural Sanitation, Health Extension and other critical services. This intervention will be undertaken in conjunction with the key federal ministries responsible for Agriculture, Environment, Health and Infrastructure, as well as the states, to financially empower individuals who lose their jobs due to the economic crisis.

“Mr. President has approved the establishment of a-N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund. The establishment of the Fund will involve drawing much-needed cash resources from various Special Funds and Accounts, in consultation with and with the approval of the National Assembly.

“The N500 billion is proposed to be utilized to upgrade healthcare facilities as earlier identified by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and approved by Mr. President.

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“This will help to finance the Federal Government’s Interventions to support states in improving healthcare facilities, finance the creation of a Special Public Works programme and Fund any additional interventions that may be approved by Mr. President”.

The minister noted that although similar challenges were experienced in 2008/2009 as well as in 2015/2016, Nigeria had considerably lower fiscal buffers now than in previous economic downturns.

According to her, the decline in international oil prices and domestic production may be magnified if a severe outbreak of COVID-19 occurs, despite ongoing efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic through compulsory lockdown of Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the FCT.

The minister said to directly address these health and economic challenges, the president approved the Fiscal Stimulus Package among others as part of an Integrated Policy Framework to ensure that Nigeria’s healthcare system, fiscal position and economy were sufficiently supported to weather these shocks.

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