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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Power generation improves to 4,823.60MW

Data from the National System Operator, an independent unit in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, showed that it was a 19.32 percent higher than the 4,042.40MW generated on Friday. NSO data as at 8pm on Sunday showed that Ikeja DisCo was the highest load taker with 694,12MW, followed by Ibadan DisCo with 535.91. Eko DisCo was next with 535.69MW. Abuja DisCo took 455.50MW while Enugu DisCo took 381.48MW. Others were Kaduna DisCo 254.87MW, Kano DisCo 238.87MW, Port Harcourt DisCo 257.46MW, Jos DisCo 175.85MW and Yola DisCo 103.63MW. The brought the distribution companies’ load taking to 3,989.87MW. Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has commenced an intensive training program for 708 engineers in the company taken from the electrical, maintenance department, Protection, Control, and Metering department and linesmen across the 10 regions of the company, through a World Bank programme. Speaking on the programme, Ag. Managing Director/CEO of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz said the training is to expose TCN maintenance engineers to facility improvement programs under the World Bank’s Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP), currently being executed in TCN. According to him, “In all, engineers undergoing this training are those in the Protection, Control and Metering Department, PC&M, Electrical Maintenance Department, and Lines Maintenance Department, totaling 708 engineers from the 10 Transmission Service Provider, TSP, regions nationwide.” The TCN head noted that the company was prioritizing the training of its staff as it gradually expands the capacity of its transmission network with the execution of several projects to ensure grid efficiency and stability. “A more robust grid, coupled with the role we must play under the new Service Level Agreement and our part in the West African Power Pool (WAPP), among others, underscore the need for our engineers to be trained and retrained, to ensure that they are relevant and efficient,” he added. He explained that the training which is divided into five modules is aimed at honing their skills and, in the end, give them fresh perspectives on how to get their jobs done more efficiently and effectively to produce better results.

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Kwara APC crisis deepens

The crisis rocking the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) is to be deepening, as the two factions loyal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed intensify the battle for the control of structures. The faction loyal to the governor, the APC Elders Caucus, has called for immediate suspension of the minister for allegedly factionalizing the party. The Elders’ Caucus made the remark in Ilorin, the state capital. The group said that the minister “is no longer fit to represent the interest of people of Kwara State” and should be removed from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari. But, some chieftains of the party loyal to the minister fired back, threatening to suspend Governor Abdulrazaq for alleged anti-party activities. Spokesperson of the group loyal to the minister, Oladimeji Mustapha advised the governor to desist from alleged anti party activities. Mustapha, who is also the factional legal adviser of the Kwara APC Caretaker Committee, said the party might have no option other than to apply the provisions of Article 21 of the APC Constitution on him. Some leaders of the Elders Caucus at the briefing include Elder Wole Oke, Kunle Sulaiman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, Alhaji Abdulmumeen Katibi, Chief Titus Ashaolu (SAN) Senators Simeon Ajibola and Mohammed Ahmed. They fired back immediately that the “action of Alhaji Lai Mohammed has clearly shown to everyone that the intra party crisis that has bedevilled the party in Kwara State was not precipitated by the erstwhile chairman, Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa”. They said Bolarinwa was just a tool in the hands of the minister to destroy the APC in Kwara State. They added: “The question to be asked is whether the new secretariat unveiled by Alhaji Lai Mohammed is for their new party called the Third Force or for the APC. This is because it was the same set of people who declared that they have defected to Third Force and burnt brooms were the same set of people who gathered at Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s so called on APC secretariat. “The estranged relationship between him and the governor, who by the party’s constitution, is the leader of the party in Kwara State, is most uncalled for. His continuing encouragement and support for factionalisation of the party is divisive and disruptive to the party. It is anti-party. He cannot contest the leadership of the party with the governor. “We, therefore, call for the immediate suspension of Alhaji Lai Mohammed as a member of the APC in Kwara State for his actions. We also call for his removal as a minister from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari for he is no longer fit to represent the interest of people of Kwara State.” Mustapha accused Governor Abdulrazaq of running affairs of the state only with his family members and a few people “to the exclusion of the party and the people whose sweat and blood produced his electoral victory in 2019. He said: “Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s cup of injustice to party members and his anti-party activities are overflowing and has reached an anticlimax that has torn the party to rags and tatters.”

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Bagudu: Buhari has directed north-west governors to end banditry in the zone

Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi state, says President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated seven north-west governors, including himself, to end banditry in the zone. According to NAN, Bagudu said this at the continuation of a Fulani stakeholders’ peace, security and unity meeting held in Birnin-Kebbi. The governor said the president’s directive was to ensure the urgent restoration of normalcy in the region. He added that the president was fully committed to protecting the lives and property of all law abiding and peaceful citizens of the country. Bagudu acknowledged the efforts of the military and other security agencies in tackling the nation’s security challenges and appealed to Nigerians to be less apprehensive in confronting the enemies of peace and unity. “They are a negligible few and we should all brace the odds,” he said. “The issue of ensuring security in the nation is a collective responsibility and as such all hands must be on deck in this direction.” Bagudu also reiterated his pledge to lead the rescue efforts of the abducted students and staff of the Federal Government College (FGC) Birnin Yauri. Bandits on June 17 invaded the college and abducted some teachers and students. But a military team was said to have so far rescued about 11 of the abductees. “We were not elected only to stay in the office, but to do anything to safeguard lives and property of all law abiding citizens,” he said. “We have to do everything to guarantee peace, unity and security even to the extent of sacrificing our lives as ordained by religious scriptures.”

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

3 Israeli Filmmakers Nabbed Over Alleged Link To IPOB

Three Israeli filmmakers were allegedly arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged link to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The Israelis, Rudy Rochman, a Zionist activist; Noam Leibman, filmmaker, and David Benaym, French-Israeli journalist, were reportedly arrested on July 9 when they visited Ogidi village, Idemili North LGA of Anambra state. The foreigners were said to have taken off from Ben Gurion Airport, Israel, on July 5 and arrived in Nigeria the following day to film a documentary titled, ‘We Were Never Lost’. The documentary seeks to explore Jewish communities in African countries such as Kenya, Madagascar, Uganda, and Nigeria. According to the Times of Israel, the arrested persons have not been charged by Nigerian authorities and are without legal representation. The newspaper said the filmmakers were arrested on suspicion that they had come in contact with Biafran separatists. The families of the three Israelis were also quoted in a statement as saying local political elements twisted the gifting of a Torah scroll to a local community as constituting support for separatist political ambitions. In their statement, the families said the filmmakers brought gifts for the communities hosting them but that the gifts were misinterpreted as support for IPOB activities. “The filmmaking crew thought it would be a nice gesture to bring several gifts with cultural symbolism to the communities it planned to visit,” the statement reads. Unfortunately, members of non-state political groups have hijacked for their own purposes images of the filmmakers gifting a Torah to a local community.

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

PIB: I Care Less About Whether Host Community Allocation Is 3% Or 5% – Nasarawa Gov

The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has faulted the debate over the Petroleum Industry Bill allocation for oil-producing states. Governor Sule who was a guest on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, said beyond figures or percentages, what matters more is the wellbeing of the states involved. “You have to look at the totality of what goes to the communities,” he said. “Is it just the three per cent that is going to them. People have forgotten about the 13% derivation that goes to the states. So even if you give the three per cent or five per cent is it changing the communities or is it going to some private pockets,” he asked. Speaking further, Governor Sule said: “really, I care less about whether it is three per cent or five per cent. The most important thing is, let us go and take a look at what is happening in the Niger Delta. Even if we give them five per cent, is that the end of the crisis there? It is deeper than that.” The host community allocation was a subject of heated debate last week as both chambers of the National Assembly struggled to decide between three and five per cent. The allocation was one of the clauses left in consideration after the National Assembly had passed the PIB earlier this month. If cleared, it is expected to transform the nation’s oil industry. The three per cent is different from the 13% derivation fund which is paid to oil-producing communities from the federation account. Instead, the three percent allocation will come from an entity’s actual yearly operating expenditure of the preceding financial year in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. All contributions will be deposited in a trust fund for host communities. According to a draft of the PIB, the trust fund will enhance peace and cordial relationship between oil companies and host communities. While the Senate on Thursday adopted the three per cent allocation despite protests by southern lawmakers, the House of Representatives, on the other hand, stepped down the controversial Bill after an hour-long closed-door session.

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

How NCC recommended e-transmission of results ahead of 2019 elections

Recommendations were made in 2018 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the adoption of electronic transmission of election results, TheCable can report. In a joint technical analysis, the NCC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) considered a few methods for electronic transmission of election results, and recommended the traditional data communication service from mobile network operators (MNOs). The issue of the electoral act amendment bill, which allows for electronic transmission of election results, has been contentious, leading to serious arguments between lawmakers. In passing the bill last Thursday, the senate had approved that the NCC must certify that national coverage is adequate and secure, while the national assembly must grant approval before INEC can transmit election results electronically. However, while appearing before the house of representatives on July 16, Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of NCC who was represented by Ubale Maska, executive commissioner, technical services, said electoral coverage analysis conducted in 2018 by the commission, showed that about 50 percent of the polling units had 3G and 2G network services, while 49 percent had 2G network and below. Maska had also said only 3G is needed to transmit results electronically. The senate later said it based its stance on information provided by the NCC. TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS FOR ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS During preparations for the 2019 general election, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, had in January 2018, visited the NCC to discuss collaboration that would enhance the electoral process. A joint technical committee of INEC and NCC was subsequently formed with a mandate to map out strategies that would reduce human interventions in the transmission of election results. The committee was headed by Maska and co-chaired by Muhammed Lecky, an INEC national commissioner. In the report of the technical committee seen by TheCable, INEC was said to have made available coordinates of 118,302 polling units out of 119,973, and in its deliberation, sought, most importantly, 100 percent constant availability of network service during the period of the election. NCC had also carried out a coverage analysis of the polling units on the national mobile network coverage map based on the signal strength “threshold of -95dBm”. A breakdown of INEC’s results on network coverage at the time showed that 59,523 polling units were covered by 3G and 2G services; 50,038 were covered by only 2G service, while 8,741 units were not covered by any operator. The committee then suggested three options: national roaming, multi-sim and traditional communication service from MNOs to transmit results. According to the committee, if national roaming is available, it means “all SIMs in use with INEC hardware will function wherever there is network coverage, irrespective of which network is available.” For the multi-sim option, the MNOs will “make available customised SIMs to INEC for the traffic exchange and the third party transit vendor is fully aware of the provisioned SIMs details just like the MNOs.”. Although national roaming, the committee said, is attractive and cost effective, the option was ruled out because of the fact that the regulatory framework for its deployment is currently under development by the NCC and will not be issued in time for the 2019 elections. On the multi-sim option, the committee submitted that it is robust and reliable, but that the timeline for its deployment is rather too long. “Considering the sensitivity of the intended operation in terms of the security of both INEC, MNO infrastructure, and the confidentiality requirements for election results, issues of compromise may arise with the third party (IMSI vendor) who would not necessarily be under regulatory purview of the NCC,” the report reads. INEC, NCC RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF TRADITIONAL DATA COMMUNICATION SERVICE After deliberations, the data communication service from MNOs was recommended as the practical solution that provides a wide range coverage of INEC polling units, and guarantees a more secure end-to-end connectivity as well as election results confidentiality. The committee said the solution may provide the level of reliability or performance in network availability for user devices connected to the network. “Therefore, the working group considered it as most appropriate solution for the exercise,” the report further reads. According to the report, on the option of traditional data communication service, the MNOs “confirmed that they have delivered similar services using this option to other MDAs in the recent past”. “The system architecture is such that typically, MNOs will configure same Access Point Name (APN) to connect to the central server at INEC,” the document reads. “Data traffic is secured through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between MNOs and INEC. MNOs will make available customised SIMS to INEC and also provide data buckets per MNO for the service.” After several meetings and engagements, it was then recommended that the “INEC/NCC joint technical committee should consider and adopt the traditional data communication service from MNOs using APN as the most appropriate solution for the electronic transmission of election results.” The committee added that this option is “in consideration of the cost implications, security and data confidentiality issues that are not guaranteed by the other solutions that were explored”. Credit: The Cable

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Emir of Katsina to Nigerians: Pray for Buhari

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdullah Mohammed Kabir Usman, has called on Nigerians to rally behind President Muhammadu Buhari through prayers and support so that he can fulfil his electoral promises rather than abusing and condemning his administration. The Emir, who made the call during the inauguration of the multi-million Naira Zobe Water Treatment Plant located in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State by President Muhammadu Buhari also decried current violent agitations in some parts of the country, adding that prayer and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians is the way forward. He said: “Our previous prayers have led to the event we are witnessing today. Let’s continue to pray for our leaders and for one another and being one another’s keeper. We the traditional rulers shall continue to give advice to governments where necessary. “The battle for this project has spanned over 40 years. God has provided us with the opportunity for the completion of this project through President Buhari and supported by Governor Masari. “He who gives water gives life. Anyone who is abusing or unjustly criticising President Buhari is abusing himself. The President needs our prayers for God to strengthen him.” In another development, the Emir has approved the appointment of Ex-Grand Khadi who is also Alkali Lardin Katsina, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Batagarawa as Special Assistant, Sharia matters to the Emirate Council A Press Release issued to newsmen in Katsina which was signed by the Public Relations Officer to the Council said the appointment takes effect immediately. He said: “The CFR has instructed me to write and notify you that you have been conferred with the title of Special Assistance on Sharia Matters in his assembly. “In addition, we wish you much success in all your endeavours and may you be able to fulfil the task that has been placed on you. We wish you peace and prosperity.”

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

2021 WASSCE: WAEC concludes arrangements as 1.6m candidates register

No fewer than 1.6 million candidates are expected to participate in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) scheduled to begin on Aug. 16. The Head of National Office (HNO) of West African Examination Council (WAEC), Mr Patrick Areghan, gave the figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos. Areghan said that the council was working day and night toward accommodating some schools still bothering it with late registration. He said that the development was taking its toll on the council’s operations. Areghan said ahead of the conduct of the 2021 WASSCE, the council was working with relevant stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free WASSCE for school candidates, in spite of some challenges. “As I have always said, conducting examination is not a tea party. It is a huge task and requires collaboration of all critical stakeholders, including the media. “It requires a lot of preparations and even more, especially in the face of the rising cases of insecurity and the resurgence of Coronavirus pandemic in the country. “In conducting this examination, we also want to ensure that the lives of all those involved, including council’s staff, and materials are properly secure. “Our arrangement for the successful conduct of our upcoming examination, therefore, is in top gear as we are ensuring that we do not leave any stone unturned,” he said. Areghan noted that examination conduct required money and other resources. According to him, the entire process of conducting the examination – from the printing of examination materials, distributing them and ensuring security, to the recruitment of ad-hoc staff and printing certificates – is a huge financial burden. Areghan gave the assurance that WAEC would continue to do all it could to stay afloat. ”It is what the council has been doing, and we want to ensure we continue in that excellent tradition.” He noted that the West African School Certificate was internationally accepted and required protection of its integrity. ”Therefore, in order not allow anything reduce that standard, we shall be collaborating with the federal and state ministries of health and education as well as the police and other security agencies. ”This is in a bid to ensure that all precautionary measures are in place before, during and after the examination,” Areghan said. The HNO said that WAEC members had been meeting to fine-tune strategies that would ensure hitch-free conduct of the examination. He urged schools and candidates to get themselves well prepared ahead of the examination, warning that the council would not tolerate any acts capable of undermining the integrity of the examination. ”There is no hiding place for cheats. “We want to warn schools, students and even supervisors and invigilators that there will be no hiding place for anyone who tries to go against laid down rules for the conduct of this examination. “We will surely catch that person, no matter where the malpractice is being carried out. “We have in-built mechanisms to detect every act of cheating; cheats, when caught, will not get their results. “Even if you cheat in our objective test, we will catch you, using technology. This technology is called the Item Deferential Profile; it has been there for quite sometime,” he said. The HNO advised parents not to indulge their children and wards in cheating in examinations by providing money to source for the questions from fraudsters. ”We have carried out a lot of sensitisation, reaching out to parents not to give money to their children in an attempt to patronise rogue website operators and other mischievous individuals, who promise to help get to WAEC questions for them, before the examination. “There is nothing like that. Some even go as far as saying WAEC normally posts questions on the internet. “This is laughable and misleading. We have tried as much as possible to enlighten the world that there is nothing like ‘miracle centre’. “This is a creation of the society and not the council. “It may be existing in their subconscious but does not exist in our dictionary,” he said. According to him, there has been no episode of leakage of council’s examination questions in Nigeria since the last, many years ago. He said that what some sections of the public referred to as leakage during conduct of WASSCE, was the work of internet fraudsters, who registered and sat with genuine candidates in the hall. “They are served the examination papers, they pretend to be writing the examination, while they manage to snap the questions in collaboration with their mercenaries outside. “But these days, they no longer snap the questions; rather, they connive with some unscrupulous supervisors and invigilators, who help them to snap the questions, using their own handsets, and send, after which the fraudsters put the questions on the internet. “These same supervisors allow some candidates into the halls with handsets, even when they know it is against the law, all because they have been compromised. “However, the various ministries of education have been doing a great job in this respect, as they have been taking drastic measures on those found culpable, by either sacking outrightly or demotion,” he said. The HNO warned that WAEC would not hesitate to hand any suspect over to the police. “We have a way of detecting those posting these things to the internet and go after them; that is why we always need the collaboration of the police,” Areghan said. (NAN)

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Court fixes Igboho aides’ trial for Sallah day – Lawyer

A suit instituted by 12 detained associates of Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, against the Department of State Services and its Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, will come up for hearing on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, (Sallah day) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, one of the counsels for the applicants, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has said. Olajengbesi made this known in a chat with The PUNCH on Sunday. However, a source within the court confided in our correspondent that judges are avoiding the matter because of its sensitive nature. The source said, “In fact, two judges initially declined to take up the suit when it was assigned to their courts before it was taken up by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court 9, Abuja.” Recall that at least a dozen of Igboho’s associates were arrested and detained by the secret police on July 1 2021 after the DSS’ bloody raid of Igboho’s residence in the Soka area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The secret police also said that it “gunned down” two of the activist’s associates during a “gun duel” which Igboho narrowly escaped. He was later declared wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms, an allegation he denied. Olajengbesi had earlier told The PUNCH that the secret police refused to grant him and the other lawyers on the case access to the 12 suspects detained by the DSS. The detained persons, through their lawyers, subsequently sued the secret police and its director general. In the joint suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 7, 2021, the applicants sought an order of the court “mandating and compelling the respondents to produce the applicants” to enable the court “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention” since July 1, 2021. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/647/2021, the applicants also sought the order of the court mandating and compelling the respondents to produce the applicants before the court and “show cause as to why the applicants should not be granted bail in accordance with the provision of section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and other extant laws in Nigeria.” Our correspondent could not confirm whether the respondents have been summoned to enter appearance within 30 days of service, but it was gathered that the court has fixed Tuesday for hearing of the matter. Olajengbesi on Sunday told The PUNCH that though Tuesday and Wednesday had been announced by the Federal Government as holiday to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, the court insisted that it would hear the case on Tuesday. He said, “We were at the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday and we can confirm that the matter has been assigned to Federal High Court 9, Abuja and will be coming up for hearing on Tuesday the 20th of July, 2021. “While we are not ignorance of the fact that the stipulated date happens to be a public holiday as declared by the Federal Government, we contacted the Registrar of the court and complained, but the response was that My Lord personally fixed the date. We are optimistic that we will get another short date since we are not certain the matter will proceed for hearing that day, however we will follow up. “The matter should have been heard by now, but we are surprised that it took too long for us to get response on the assigned court despite filing affidavits of extreme urgency. We are glad the matter is now in Court 9 and we are hopeful of having a good day in court soon.” Culled from Punch

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Post Date : July 19, 2021

Why we didn’t approve herbal medicine for COVID-19 treatment- NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given reasons why it has yet to approve any herbal medicine for the treatment of COVID-19. This is contained in a statement signed by the agency resident Media Consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and issued to newsmen on Sunday, in Abuja. The statement quoted Prof Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director- General, as saying that “no single drug has been found yet to cure COVID -19”. Adeyeye also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of onions and garlic with a view to curing COVID-19, saying, ‘’If you eat too much your breath will be smelling and nobody will want to stay by you.” She said that medicinal products available now could only help ease symptoms and up the odds of survival. She warned Nigerian researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to desist from parading unverified medicine for the virus. She said that any product without NAFDAC approval for the cure of COVID-19 is null and void, adding that such an act was a violation of the national regulatory authorities and breach of protocols. She admitted that onions or garlic or any of the natural fruits that we take have antioxidant and nutrients that can help us feel better, adding that people might have been using it and they get better. “If it is not documented, it cannot be recognised by NAFDAC for COVID – 19. They work on our cells to keep people healthier, but not to cure COVID – 19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure for COVID -19 yet. She added that they may boost the immunity and the person may not be easily susceptible to infection, adding that ‘’even with that, you still have to protect yourself. “If you eat garlic and onion and you don’t use face mask you will get COVID -19. If you are in a bad environment; If you don’t wash your hands, you will get COVID -19. “Everything has to be put together. University of Jos said that there was an herbal medicine, whether it is tea or whatever, that can cure COVID-19, they linked it with treatment of COVID -19, they did the packaging. ‘’We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to sell it to their staff. That is violation of our own regulatory policies. “Nobody should say that this one can cure this or that without going through NAFDAC listing process, the research into herbal medicine by the academia is normal. ‘’It is now for the academia to also recognise the national regulatory authority established to safeguard the safety of the Nigerian populace, by ensuring that the product that they are working on has to go through NAFDAC,” Adeyeye said. According to her, there have been one or two cases where the University of Jos product was being encouraged to be used by people without going through NAFDAC. She said that the university was supposed to go through the national regulatory authority and pave the way for NAFDAC to declare it safe for consumption. The DG insisted that her agency must approve the clinical trial protocol, stressing that ‘’If they don’t do that and go ahead to market and sell their product, such act would be a violation of regulatory procedures. According to her, some people might have been using it and they got better, but without being approved scientifically and documented, we may not be able to guarantee its safety for human consumption. She recalled that NAFDAC set up an herbal medicine product committee in March 2019 before the pandemic broke out, to advance research in herbal medicine. Adeyeye said that the goal for such idea was to make sure that the herbalist and the researcher were collaborating, so that whatever the herbalist knows from ancestral history that the research will back it up. She explained further that collaboration with researcher would enable such herbal medicine to be advanced and to be listed by NAFDAC, if found safe for consumption. According to her, during the pandemic there were lots of assertions that there were herbal medicines, that could be used to treat symptoms of COVID -19, pointing out that there was no single medicine that has been identified yet. “But there are herbal medicines that could alleviate symptoms of COVID -19. However, NAFDAC has not granted registration of approval for any medicine for that. “NAFDAC approves such medicines for listing, it means that it’s been tested and was deemed safe to use. NAFDAC cannot say herbal medicine can treat COVID -19, until clinical trial is done. “Right now, there is no single herbal medicine that has gone through full clinical trial the way clinical trial is supposed to be done,” she said. According to her, to do official clinical trial, you must write a protocol, you must pass it through the National Health Research Ethical Committee (NHREC), and you must pass it through NAFDAC.” She said that the agency has not given any pass mark as regards COVID-19 herbal medicine, but that the agency has approved some herbal medicines that they claim can alleviate some of the symptoms of COVID -19. She said that some of the approved herbal medicine which they claim can alleviate COVID-19 symptoms only work as immune boosters. Adeyeye pointed out that such herbal medicine may prevent one from getting the disease, adding that, as far as NAFDAC was concerned, it has not approved any medicine to treat COVID -19. “We have approved medicines that they said can alleviate symptoms and relieve people of some symptoms of COVID – 19, when the product is listed then clinical trial may start. “It takes a lot of money to do clinical trial. University of Jos has been given approval to commence clinical trial of their products which is yet to commence. The DG further disclosed that many herbal products have been submitted for federal government grants, because

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