NEWS
Lagos Puts Nigeria on World Record With 60,000 Cupcakes Mosaic
Lagos State on Thursday, put Nigeria on the world record by celebrating the 60th Independence Anniversary with 60,000 cupcakes.
The state produced the largest anniversary logo in the world, made with cupcakes mosaic.
The initiative by the Lagos State Government in conjunction with Fly Africa, aimed to put Nigeria in the Guinness Book of World Record as holder of the world’s largest anniversary logo made with cupcakes mosaic in the world.
Speaking at the event held at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted the state through the laying of the largest cupcakes mosaic, has sent a message to the world that Lagos remained a land of creativity and innovations.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the wife of the State Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, at the event monitored by officials of the Guinness World Records, said that the last largest cupcakes in the world was a 30,400 cupcakes made in Singapore in 2015.
“’I am sure that with this largest cupcakes mosaic today, we have sent a message to the world that Lagos State is a land of creativity and innovations.
“It is my belief that Lagos State and indeed Nigeria would continue to strive and record greater achievements.
“I call on everyone here today to join hands with our administration to build a Lagos that we will all be proud of,” he said.
The governor commended all the founding fathers of Nigeria, independence icons and those who had worked tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria remained a united nation.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, said that the world’s largest anniversary logo made with cupcakes mosaic was very unique to Lagos being the trail-blazer in every lofty initiative.
Akinbile-Yussuf said that the government, through the event was putting itself before the international community, especially tourists, to see what the state could offer in terms of breaking new grounds and in creativity.
She said that the relevance of Lagos State in Nigeria could not be undermined as the state had been channeling its efforts into activities that had strengthened the nation economically, culturally and socially.
According to her, Lagos State has been serving as the melting pot for Nigeria’s tradition and culture.
“The coming together of Fly Africa and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for this event which is one of its kinds in the history of this nation underscores Lagos’ rich attractions that have earned the nation a global voice and respect across the continent.
“It is also commendable that we are equally using this event to eye World Guinness Record through the laying of the Largest Cupcake Mosaic in different colors, being the first ever in the world.
‘“I appreciate the almost 150 volunteers who came together to make this Largest Cupcakes Mosaic possible, as well as the various partners for this event,” she said.
Akinbile-Yusuf also said that the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture had used the period of the lockdown in the tourism and entertainment industry to rethink a workable direction for the post-COVID era.
She said that going forward, efforts would be channeled toward the development of the state local tourism sites and the promotion of local creativity.
“Rather than enriching the economy of other countries through international tours, we want to change the narrative by making our state a more beautiful city to behold, where international tourists can visit and invest their resources,” the commissioner said.
The Lead Aviator of Fly Africa, Mr Wole Olagundoye, said the record breaking event would inspire Nigerians and Africans to rise above the odds and strive for positive actions toward achieving great and transformational feats.
Olagundoye, who is also the Managing Director of Outori Ltd., said that only Africans could make Africa succeed.
“Our own destiny is not in the hand of other nations but right in ours and we must seize this moment to make the necessary changes,” he said. (NAN)
By David Torough, Abuja
Stakeholders have expressed concern over delay in the domestication of Disability Act in Benue state and called on government to expedite passage of the law in the state.
At the stakeholders’ consultative meeting to domesticate the disability law in the state held Tuesday in Makurdi in collaboration with Inclusive friends Association (IFA), Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI) and JONAPWD, the Director General, Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Dr Leonard Viashima, represented by the Technical Adviser on Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, John Akuse, however said governor Alia’s administration was willing to domesticate the law in the state.
In his address, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Disability Affairs, Bem Anshe, who doubles as the chairman of JONAPWD, stressed the need for the domestication of the law in Benue, saying it would facilitate the inclusion of people with disability in governance.
Anshe decried the non-passage of the law in the state, lamenting that Benue was the only state in the North Central yet to domesticate it.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, represented by the Programme Manager of IFA, Stephen Idoko, noted that despite the challenges, she was confident that the forum would achieve its objective if all worked together.
She noted that the presence of stakeholders in the meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment to making a lasting impact on the lives of persons with disabilities in the state.
On her part, Prof. Christy Anyogo from IFA expressed hope that Benue would soon join the league of states that have domesticated the disability law, saying governor Hyacinth Alia never looks back on whatever he wants to do.
The consultative forum was attended by stakeholders from the state ministry of Women Affairs, ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, traditional rulers, religious leaders, social investment programme agency, Albinism association of Nigeria, leprosy survivors and spinal cord injury.
From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah has charged contractors and the site engineers handling construction of the 260 smart schools and 260 Type-2 Primary Health facilities in the 260 wards of the state on the delivery of world-class projects that would stand the test of time.
Governor Mbah enjoined them to deploy quality materials and build according to specifications, warning that any sharp practices would attract stiff sanctions and rejection by the government. He equally underscored the need for contractors to deliver their projects on schedule as stipulated in their terms of contract.The governor spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Ezeagu LGA on Wednesday.He said the purpose of the inspection by the project’s monitoring team, which also comprises the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr Gerald Otiji; Commissioner for Education, Prof Nwabueze Mbah; Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Chris Robert Ozongwu; Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Dr. Gabriel Ajah; Special Adviser to the Governor on Projects Development and Implementation, Uche Nwatu, among others, was to ensure the quality and integrity of the projects, from start to finish.”We met with the contractors and their site engineers in all the sites we’ve visited. This is to ensure that there is no variation in the work specification, and that the quality of the materials they are using, starting from the foundation to completion, could guarantee the integrity and structural tests of these projects.”What His Excellency is setting out to achieve here is to make sure that we did not run the three risks that we know that are eminent in every construction, considering that a time will come in Enugu State when we will have almost five hundred live projects – smart schools, primary healthcare facilities – in all the 260 wards, in addition to the roads constructions that are going on across the board. So, we are building a very strong monitoring team that will address the quality aspect of it.”We are also taking into consideration the cost risk that comes when the time risk begins to happen, because, once we miss the timeline, the next is that we begin to discuss variation. So, this team here is to ensure that all risks are evaluated and compliance is strictly adhered to.”We are also working on engaging with the local stakeholders to ensure the security of the process here. So, that will help us address issues around theft of materials we brought to the site. But more importantly is that at the end of each project there will be sustainability and that these stakeholders will take ownership of these schools and other projects in their communities.”So, it is not just about monitoring, but also about building on all the key facets that will make sure that these projects achieve the objectives to have smart children and smart teachers coming out of our local governments and a smart workforce for the state,” Prof Onyia stated.That’s why we have accommodation for them and we are also going to ensure that Enugu generally has a smart workforce. That’s why we are here”.He allayed the fears over the culture of abandoned projects by various strata of the government, saying that the allocation of 33 per cent of the entire 2024 budget to education has guaranteed the start, completions, and handover of the smart school projects on schedule.On his part, Chairman of ENSUBEB, Dr. Ajah, said they were happy with the quality of work so far, adding that contractors were complying with specifications and corrections were immediately effected wherever there were gaps.Admonishing communities to take ownership of the projects, he urged them to see the facilities as their own by ensuring the security of the projects.”Security is everybody’s business. The people are happy. The government has never come to the people at ward level like this before now. So, I am calling on our people to protect these projects from vandals by taking charge and ownership of them”, he concluded.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Director-General, Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency, BEQA, Dr. Terna Francis, on Thursday, said the administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia is at the verge of reviving the state foreign exchange programme that was abandoned by previous administrations.
Dr. Terna, who said the foreign exchange program that had provided Benue citizens with opportunity to study abroad in the past, was abandoned due to the inability of the government to pay three million naira for those who secured foreign scholarships. The DG who disclosed while speaking with journalists in his office in Makurdi, said he had already sent a memo to the State government to reintroduce the program in order to add value to the educational system in the state.”We want to revive the foreign exchange program which was stopped because of just 3 million naira. I have already made a memo to the State government to reintroduce the program.We have some of these people who have benefited from this foreign exchange programme presently working with the state government. Some of them are in government house working while others are in other MDAs working and adding value to what we are doing”,Dr. Terna maintained. He however expressed dismay over the poor quality of education system in the State, saying there is a big mess in the quality of teaching and learning in schools across the State. “It was for this reason that the Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia established this agency with the mandate to document, control and check the quality of learning in the basic and post basic education sector.”We met a mess in the education sector and we are now doing a clean up exercise . Several schools in the State have structural defects. People convert their two (2)bedroom flats into school.”The teachers are just secondary school leavers. Someone who just finished SS3 is giving a teaching job to teach SS3 physics.”Just imagine, a proprietor chokes students in a poultry farm. This is unacceptable and we are going to close the school down. Education is just for profiteering without quality.”We have been doing our best to clean up the mess. The agency is a bureau directly answerable to the Governor. Quality Assurance that means the department of Quality assurance in the Ministry of Education is directly under the agency.”It is a systemic thing. 32,000 is the fee for WAEC. But before now, the students were paying over 50,000 or more as WAEC fees.”We have called for recertification and gathering of data about quality of teachers and paying of annual renewal fees. We sent out our evaluators to confirm the data schools give to us.”I have visited over 300 schools in the State. We have warned school proprietors and proprietresses to put things in place or have their schools sealed. We are not compromising on standard and quality no matter who is involved. We are not backing down. We have the political backing.”It will amaze you to know that 2016 was the last time the examination board conducted BECE without issuing certificates.”You can imagine that a school in Makurdi is using the British curriculum and operating a semester kind of education. The students are made to pay 550,000 as fees.”We have tried to reduce bureaucracy in the establishment of schools before now, which takes up to a year, but now, it takes just a few months to get a provisional approval to establish a school.
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