Canada Pledges $18m For Poverty, Humanitarian Responses In Nigeria

The Canadian Government will support humanitarian and poverty alleviation in Nigeria with 18 million dollars. The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Jamie Christoff, made this known when he visited the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu in her office in Abuja. Christoff said Canada has already committed to spend a total of one hundred and fifty-two million dollars to support various programmes in Nigeria. According to him, part of the money is the eighteen million dollars earmarked for Humanitarian response. “The main portion of the funds will be spent in programmes focusing on the vulnerable women and young girls across the country. The Canadian envoy lauded the establishment of the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund. “I am here with my team to register our support to the mandate of the President in his efforts to alleviate poverty and reduce humanitarian crises in Nigeria through your ministry” he said. In her response, Edu, commended the Canadian High Commissioner visiting her, as well as supporting the ministry’s efforts in humanitarian response. Edu expressed delight that the Canadian government has confidence in President Bola Tinubu Administration to drive Nigeria’s poverty alleviation and humanitarian response. She assured the ambassador of the federal government’s desire to deepens mutual working relationship with the Canadian government. According to her, the Tinubu Administration is determined to tackle Nigeria’s multi-dimensional poverty and humanitarian crises in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She assured the Canadian Envoy that the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund will be used to address humanitarian emergencies. She said, there will be transparency in the application of the fund. Edu therefore urged all stakeholders to re-evaluate their contributions to Nigeria and work towards providing durable solutions to ‘our country’ need. She advocated for a change in approach of partners to enable the people who need help the most truly get it with less duplication and wastage.

BlueStream Group pledges 100% scholarship, grants to Nigerian students

A Group, Bluestream Educational Ltd says it is set to offer 100 percent educational scholarships and grants to Nigerian students to further their education at home and abroad. AbdulKareem Ogirima, the Group’s Managing Director spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of an educational fair on Saturday in Abuja. The fair was organised by the group in collaboration with some top universities in Turkey, U.S. U.K., and Canada. Ogirima said that the gesture was part of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), adding that Nigerian students were one of the brightest in the world and deserve quality education. He explained that in addition to the scholarships Bluestream Educational Ltd was giving grants to students free of charge no strings attached as long as they are brilliant or show evidence that they deserve such and it is within their budget. “Our resolve, as part of our CSR is to continue to assist students with the needed information on gaining admission, scholarships and sponsorships. “We are indeed proud of the performances of Nigerian students and this is what spurs us to do even more. “We are committed to solving the challenges faced by our students who are seeking admission into various universities around the world. “So far, we have helped over 1,000 students to gain admission, and also assisted a number of them to get scholarships, this we do with our partners in the U.S., Canada, UK, Turkey, and other countries. “This year’s edition will see us give 100 percent educational scholarships to students who perform excellently well in our in-house examinations. “We are in partnership with some Turkish universities including; Sabanci University, Isik University, Istinye University, Istanbul Ozyegin University, Bahcesehir University, to mention a few,” he said. He said the group also offers personalised services based on the student’s budget or academic performance (secondary school transcripts). He added that their services also include; assisting students improve their scores in IELTS Exam organised by the British Council, TOEFL, IGCSE O & A Levels, GRE, IJMB/JUPEB, JAMB, WAEC, Adult Education, etc. Ogirima commended the student loan policy of President Bola Tinubu-led administration. He said that if well-articulated, the policy would go a long way in improving access to education by Nigerians just as it is done in the U.K. and U.S. “For us in Nigeria, we are just starting but at least, we know now that the government is talking about student loans which is the way to go. “The idea will further assist indigent students gain quality education, which is in line with the Federal Government’s policies on inclusive, affordable, and accessible education. “Student loan is not out of place given our current realities and challenges in higher education (HE/FE) pursuit. But it has to be well articulated and domesticated with the government’s sincerity of purpose. “It is a huge investment that should be given all the attention and seriousness it deserves,” he said. BlueStream Group Ltd is a multinational company that focuses its services on Education, Health, Travel, and Hospitality.