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HOMEF’s School of Ecology Empowers Young Activists with Environmental Knowledge

Published

3 months ago

March 29, 2025

The Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, expressed his organization’s commitment to nurturing young activists through its School of Ecology.

The initiative aims to equip these activists with a deep understanding of the environmental challenges facing society today.

Speaking at the closing session of the March series of the School of Ecology, themed “Ecology Justice and Resilience,” which took place from March 24 to 28 in Benin, Bassey emphasized the importance of educating young people about environmental issues.

“The idea behind the School of Ecology is to cultivate a group of activists who possess real knowledge about the challenges confronting us and our environment.

“We are dedicating time to teach not only the issues but also the underlying reasons for these challenges,” he stated.

Bassey highlighted the significance of understanding the root causes of environmental crises, asserting that this knowledge empowers individuals to address the manifestations of these problems effectively.

“In this series, we focused on building resilience, enhancing community capacity, and fostering the strength needed to tackle these issues,” he added.

During the training, Bassey introduced the concept of ‘Eti-Uwem,’ an Ibio phrase meaning “good life,” which advocates for a harmonious relationship among individuals and with the environment.

“Eti-Uwem is a concept we have been sharing for some time, and we want to continue promoting it. When people embrace this idea, it positively influences their relationship with the environment,” he explained.

Babawale Obayanju, who taught the sub-topic “Uniting Our Common Struggle,” emphasized the necessity of collaboration in activism.

“We can’t live in isolation; no man is an island. In the face of oppression, working solo increases the risk of being overwhelmed. We must unite in our common struggle, as climate justice is intertwined with social justice,” he stated.

Cadmus Atake-Enade, who discussed “Radical Socio-Economic Transformation through Culture,” urged stakeholders to collaborate in promoting policies that empower cultural industries while protecting natural resources.

“By doing so, we ensure that economic transformation is not only radical but also deeply rooted in the values, identity, heritage, and ecological well-being of the communities it aims to uplift,” he said.

Participants expressed their gratitude for the training, which spanned five days.

Mbalisi Onyeka Festus, a Professor of Environmental Education at the University of Port Harcourt, remarked, “I have learned valuable insights that will contribute to environmental justice.”

Praise Omu, a lecturer in Environmental Management at Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, Bayelsa State noted, “We were inspired to take informed actions and recognize that everything on earth, both living and non-living, has rights that deserve respect.”

Evelyn Eyo from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, thanked HOMEF for the enlightening training and pledged to share her newfound knowledge with others.

“The school has opened my mind to many misconceptions. I will return to my organization and conduct programme to educate the younger generation about the impacts of environmental pollution,” she promised.

The five-day training attracted participants from northern Nigeria and the South-South geopolitical zone, culminating in the issuance of certificates to all attendees.

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JAMB Releases Results Of Mop-up Examination

Published

5 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) held on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
According to a statement issued on Sunday evening by JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, results have been released for 11,161 candidates who sat for the exam out of the 96,838 candidates scheduled for the mop-up exercise.

The board, however, noted that some candidates who are unable to access their results failed to comply with the prescribed instructions.

“Candidates who are not able to access their results have been found not to have fully complied with the instruction to send ‘UTMERESULT’ (as one word text) to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration for the UTME,” the statement read.

JAMB urged all affected candidates to follow the correct procedure in order to access their results.

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FG Lists Two Presidential Jet For Sale In Switzerland

Published

6 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has place on sale about two-decade-old Boeing 737‑700 Business Jet (BBJ) with the listing hosted by AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland.

The Presidency source said with over 19 years in service, the BBJ has become increasingly expensive to maintain and subject to safety scrutiny, particularly after a mechanical incident during an official trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

This disclosure for the sale of the Boeing 737‑700 Business Jet (BBJ) was made via a US-based aircraft listing site, The Controller: https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/244434099/2005-boeing-bbj-jet-aircraft

The aircraft, used during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and acquired for $43m in 2005, is being sold months after President Bola Tinubu transitioned to a refurbished Airbus A330-200 last August amid economic concerns and public scrutiny.

The plane had undergone inspections and maintenance in preparation for sale, according to aviation marketplace Controller.com.

Nigeria’s presidential air fleet, overseen by the Nigerian Air Force and the Office of the National Security Adviser, has about 10 aircraft.

These include fixed wings such as a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550, Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605.

Three of the seven fixed wings are reportedly unserviceable.

The rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Both the Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu administrations had earlier pledged to streamline the PAF for cost-efficiency.

Until August 2024, the BBJ-737 with tail number 5N-FGT, ferried the President until the administration acquired the refurbished Airbus A330-200, registered 5N‑FGA.

The aircraft, acquired for roughly $100 million (approx. ₦150bn) from a repossessed German bank asset, arrived in France for initial maintenance and reconfiguration in mid-2024.

However, since February 2025, the President has been using a San Marino-registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS).

Sources in early May 2025 confirmed that the new A330-200 had been flown to South Africa to change its livery to reflect the Nigerian colours and the office of the President.

“The last I heard is that they took it abroad, I think to South Africa, to change the body design. You know it doesn’t have the green white green,” one source had said, asking to remain anonymous.

“It’s not only the body paint. I learned they are doing some refurbishment on it,” a second official stated.

The Swiss private aviation firm which facilitated the acquisition of the Airbus A330, it was gathered is also preparing the BBJ-737 for sale.

With over 19 years in service, the Presidency said the BBJ became increasingly expensive to maintain and subject to safety scrutiny, particularly after a mechanical incident during an official trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

Despite a partial refurbishment in July 2024, including upgrades to its first-class seating, new carpeting, and completion of C1-C2 inspections, the presidency is retiring the jet and listing it for sale.

Also, the aircraft is not enrolled in any engine maintenance programme, while both of its CFM56-7BE engines remain “on condition” that is, they are not subject to guaranteed performance coverage.

According to the listing, interested buyers may contact AMAC Aerospace for the asking price privately.

Configured to carry 33 passengers and 8 crew, the listing said the aircraft offers a 5-zone seating layout.

Zone 1 is dedicated to crew rest, including two crew rest seats and two cabin attendant seats. Zone 2 features a VIP stateroom equipped with a bed, a two-place divan, and a private lavatory. Zone 3 includes a VIP lounge configured as a four-seat conference room.

In Zone 4, passengers will find nine forward-facing first-class seats. Finally, Zone 5 offers eighteen forward-facing business-class seats.

The aircraft underwent a partial interior refurbishment in July 2024, including new carpeting through 90 per cent of the cabin and a full refurbishment of the first-class seating area.

Full-service galleys are located both forward and aft, featuring a steam oven, microwave, chilled compartments, storage areas, and warming drawers.

Other features include four enclosed lavatories—one for crew use, one within the VIP stateroom, one serving the first-class cabin, and another in the business-class section.

Connectivity is provided via Ka-Band Wi-Fi powered by the Honeywell MCS-7000 system.

Entertainment options include a 32-inch monitor in the master bedroom, another in the VIP lounge, one more in the first-class cabin, and two 21-inch monitors in the business-class cabin.

The BBJ is equipped with cutting-edge avionics systems. It includes three VHF communication radios by Gables Engineering, two VHF navigation radios by Rockwell Collins, and two HF transceivers. Safety and situational awareness are enhanced by an L3 Comms DFDR, a CVR, and Honeywell’s EGPWS.

The aircraft is fitted with two ATC transponders, a pair of DME units, and Rockwell Collins radio altimeters.

Additional avionics include three Thales ADC/ADM units, two Honeywell ADIRUs, and Rockwell Collins weather radar and TCAS systems.

Emergency equipment includes an Artex ELT with interface unit. The flight control and guidance systems comprise two Rockwell Collins FCCs, a Flight Dynamics HGS computer, and two Smith Industries FMS units.

Navigation aids include two ADFs and two Rockwell Collins MMR(GLU) units. Cabin pressurisation is managed by two Nord-Micro CPCs.

The aircraft also carries integrated flight and engine monitoring systems, with components by BAE Systems, Hamilton Sundstrand, Oeco, Honeywell, Teledyne Controls, Vibro-Meter, and Avtech.

Controller.com says the aircraft is fully compliant with ADS-B, CPDLC, FANS-1/A, and RVSM requirements.

The Boeing BBJ is powered by two CFM56-7BE engines, each with 3,821 hours since new and 1,881 cycles.

The engines are on-condition and not enrolled in a maintenance programme.

The auxiliary power unit, a Honeywell 131-9B, has logged 5,982 hours and 3,622 cycles.

It says the aircraft is capable of intercontinental range, thanks to eight auxiliary fuel tanks that boost total capacity to 70,000 pounds.

This includes standard tanks of 45,000 pounds, plus auxiliary tanks split between the left wing (8,500 lbs), right wing (8,500 lbs), center (28,000 lbs), forward aux (10,000 lbs), and aft aux (15,000 lbs).

Currently, the BBJ is undergoing B1-B2 inspections at AMAC Aerospace in Basel.

The C1-C2 inspections were completed in July 2024. Maintenance is tracked using the Veyron system.

On the outside, the aircraft retains its original 2005 exterior paint scheme, featuring a white base accented with green highlights to portray the Nigerian colours.
(VANGUARD)

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NDPC Fines MultiChoice ₦766m For Data Privacy Violations

Published

7 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.

The commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Bamigboye, the fine followed an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024 into suspected violations of subscribers’ privacy rights and the unlawful cross-border transfer of Nigerians’ data.

“NDPC found, among other things, that MultiChoice violated the data privacy rights of its subscribers and individuals associated with them who are not necessarily subscribers.

“The commission also discovered that MultiChoice engaged in the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data belonging to Nigerian data subjects.

“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.

“This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Bamigboye said.

According to him, Nigeria is entitled to protect its citizens and data sovereignty under both international and existing municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implications for the rule of law, national security, and economic growth.

Bamigboye added that, in the course of the investigation, in line with the NDPA standard remediation procedure, the commission directed Multichoice to undertake appropriate remedial measures.

“However, the commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.

“For want of cooperation, the commission has directed multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act.l,” he added.

The NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, was also quoted as directing that all channels through which Multichoice collects the personal data of Nigerian citizens be investigated for non-compliance.

According to him, any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDPA is liable to a penalty under the Act.

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s Data Protection Authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.
(VANGUARD)