Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos Chapter has announced date for its 11^th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference (LaPRSC).

The event Tagged the August Gathering of Public Relations Solution Providers, the annual conference is a collaboration between Addefort Nigeria Ltd and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

According to Mrs Comfort Obot Nwankwo, Chairman of the Chapter, the annual conference will hold at the MUSON Center, Onikan, Lagos on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

She noted that the “August Gathering will engage stakeholders on achieving the right communication agenda with regards to issues associated with climate change and the environment.

“It will also recognise organisations that have been committed to the sustainability agenda, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Mr Olabamiji Adeleye, Conference Coordinator, CEO, Addefort Limited, added that participants at event “Theme: Stakeholders’ Conversations on Climate Change and Environment: Communication and The Sustainability Agenda; will include Public Relations Practitioners, Students, Environment Experts, Representatives from Government, Corporate Organisations, Institutions, NGOs, HODs of relevant Agencies, and media among other stakeholders.

The event has in the past 10 years consistently enjoyed the collaboration of government, institutions and major corporate organisations in the country.

The annual Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference, has evolved over the years to become a highly respected platform for stakeholders to interact, discuss and proffer solutions to the social, political and economic challenges plaguing our nation. The Conference is the brainchild of Addefort Limited; a public relations and concept development firm.

Management of Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has clamped down on unregistered courier service providers in Osun State, assuring of its readiness to sanitise the business in the state.

Speaking at one-day clampdown operations against illegal courier and logistics operators in Osun State, Mr Dotun Sonde, general manager of the Courier and Logistics Department, NIPOST, declared that the activities of the illegal operators have been endangering the lives of the residents.

According to him, findings revealed that some illegal operators were being used for illicit drugs and arms movement, putting the lives and properties of residents at risk.

Sonde explained, “Many people just need to know that most of the unlicensed, unregistered, illegal operators engage in unethical practices.

“For instance, some of these illegal operators carry small arms and ammunition, some carry illicit drugs, some carry despicable things that I don’t want to start mentioning here, sex toys and others. This is because they are not traceable, they are not registered and they are not licensed.

“For security risk that people are exposed to, of course, people will use them, people of like minds who want to perpetrate criminality would make use them. They won’t find policemen stopping them, opening their boxes, but what they conceal inside is actually alarming.”

Asked for the statistics of illegal courier operators in the state, Sonde further said, “Based on postal statistics and surveillance, the market intelligence we have done, in Osun State alone, we have over 500 illegal courier operators. You can see that we are just scratching the surface and this is the first time we are conducting this enforcement activity in Osun State, which means that we are just getting started.

African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a loan of N750 billion ($500) million to Nigeria to support the first phase of the economic governance and energy transition support programme (EGET-SP).

EGET-SP is an initiative aimed at accelerating the transformation of the country’s electricity infrastructure and improving access to cleaner sources of energy.

The plan will, among other things, lift 100 million people out of poverty, reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint, drive economic growth, and create jobs, according to the government.

In a statement, AfDB said the loan will help close the financing gap of the government’s budget in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, particularly supporting the implementation of the country’s new Electricity Act and the Nigeria energy transition plan.

“The Nigerian government launched the energy transition plan in August 2022, and in June 2023, passed a new Electricity Act decentralising the electricity supply industry and setting the stage for increased investments by subnational governments and the private sector,” AfDB said.

“The energy transition plan envisions the development, by 2050, of 250 GW of installed electricity capacity, 90 per cent of which will be renewable.

“It will provide clean cooking access to the bulk of the population by 2030, using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biogas, biofuels like ethanol, and electric cookstoves,” the statement said

It added that “The AfDB $500m support to the Federal Government of Nigeria is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at supporting the country’s economic growth, poverty reduction, and climate action efforts.”