The Nation Newspaper

Category: Industry

  • ‘Why govt must revisit pulp, paper mills sale’

    ‘Why govt must revisit pulp, paper mills sale’

    When the Federal Government listed some of its corporations that were not doing well and directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to sell them to private investors, in the spirit of privatisation, many thought the scheme would help to resuscitate the firms. But the comatose state of the pulp and paper mills, sold in 1999, has reopened calls for a  revisit of the privatisation process. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports on how the sector can be revived to create jobs and boost the economy.

    The Federal Government established three pulp and paper mills in the 1960s and 1970s. They are the Nigeria Paper Mill Limited (NPM) in Jebba, Kwara State, established to  produce kraft paper for the packaging industry; the  Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NNMC) in  Oku-Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, and the Nigeria National Paper Manufacturing Ltd. (NNPMC) in Ogun State, established to produce bond paper.

    Two of the mills – NPM, Jebba and NNMC, Oku Iboku – performed creditably in the 1980s.  operating at opitmum capacities. Thus, paper importation faded out during the period. For instance, NPM produced 40,480 tonnes of kraft paper in 1985 and 42,960 million tons in 1986.

    These represented 62.3 per cent and 66.17 per cent capacity utilisation respectively. The NNMC also performed optimally at that time.

    The volume of newsprint production at NNMC rose from 28,927 tonnes in 1989 to 37,581 tonnes in 1990. Due to the optimal capacity utilisation of the mill, importation of newsprint reduced to 17.5per cent in 1986; 12.5 per cent in 1987 and faded out in 1988.  Nevertheless, the third pulp and paper mill, NNPMC, was abandoned in 1983 when the mill was at about 85 per cent completion. Till the time it was shut down in 1998, the mill did not produce up to five per cent of its installed capacity.

    In 1999, the government sought to change the fortunes of the mills with their privitisation but it did not achieve  its goal. Though privatisation has several benefits, such as the reduction of bureaucracy, bad management, corruption, correct defective capital and increase in the quality of goods and services, has not benefitted the paper industry.

    In addition, the mills depended on imported long fibre pulp, pulping chemicals, management and technical expertise. At best, since the privatisation, Jebba Paper Mills, formerly the Nigeria Paper Mills, acquired in 2006 by MINL, a subsidiary of India’s Manaksia, has not improved its fortune as the owners are recycling paper rather than engaging in activities that would improve its fortunes to the extent of creating wealth and contributing to the economy.

    Also, the furtune of NNPMC in Ogun State (now Iwopin Pulp and Paper Company Limited), sold to an indigenous company – Noxieme Technologies Limited –  has not improved. Last year there were reports the company had found a new core investor – Beulah Technical Company Limited. Till date, there has been no tangible activity at the sprawling complex.

    The story of the NNMC Limited, Oku-Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, is not different. After it was sold to Negris Limited, it has been comatose. The nation is reported to be losing N180 billion from the non-performance of the three paper mills. Their non-performance also means that jobs that should have been created are lost to other countries.  This is also worsened by the fact that the Federal Government spends N50 billion on importation of paper annually.

    At a meeting targeted at reversing the fortunes of the paper and pulp industry, the Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Mr.Ibrahim Hussain Doko Ibrahim, said the cost implication of non-performance of NPM in 2006, 2007 and 2008 annually was N7.8 billion, which reduced to N6.85 billion in 2009, resulting in four-year deficit turnover of N30.25 billion.

    “As we are all aware, the technology for pulp and paper production has advanced considerably since the paper mills in the country were established, efforts are being made to reduce environmental impact of pulp and paper production processes through the use of organosolv pulping method which was developed to avoid environmental problems related to sulphur emissions. Many mills globally are also introducing micro and nano materials, in view of their renewability, fibriller structure, multi-functional applications and the possibility of being self-assembled into well-defined architecture,” Ibrahim said.

    The RMRDC boss further said the cost implication of the comatose NNMC between 2006 and 2009 to the economy was N18.76 billion, adding that within the four years considered, the deficit turnover equalled N74.8 billion.

    “The total cost of non-performance of the three mills to the economy within the four-year period was estimated at N153.05 billion in 2009, and this has been calculated to be about N180 billion before the end of 2015,” he said.

    “Coupled with this, the delay in commencing production by the mills is hampering the acquisition of the needed transfer of skills and technology which are important objectives of privatisation in developing countries,” Ibrahim added.

    Today, the paper market is dominated by imports from India and other parts of Asia as stakeholders say the privatisation process of the mills was faulty.

    Former Senior Manager, Quality Control, NPM, Chief Samson Olalade Ogundele, who worked for over 20 years in the firm, called for the review or outright cancellation of the privatisation of the paper mills in the country. He regretted that new buyers of NPM are not sincere in revitalising the company but in stripping its asset.

    “How can a company valued at N30 billion in 1995 be sold for a mere N334 million in 2012 and even at that, the new buyers have not been able to produce papers from the abundance  of forestry solely dedicated to the mill but instead prefer to be recycling used papers.  As far as l know, all the facilities in Jebba are still there, especially, the three paper machines with the last two inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari who was then the Head of State.”

    Ogundele said: “The new buyers didn’t buy the paper mill to turn it around, especially as they complain of the distance between the forestry and the mill and the inconvenience to them. He asked if they didn’t know that they would have to transport the raw materials to the factory before they bought it in the first place.

    “The aim of the government of Nigeria government is to improve production and to employ Nigerians. B ut today Nigerians are casual staff in junior and senior staff positions. The new buyers want to strip the asset of the mill and possibly sell it as scrap. I suggest that government visit the privitisation process because it is a rip-off.”

    He regretted that the government and the new buyers of the paper mills have failed to meet the expectations of not only the staff who have not been paid their entitlements but also the public who pay more for imported paper materials.

    A professor in the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Ibadan, Oluwadare Oluwafemi, identified the inability to source long fibre trees as one key reason for the non-performance of the mills.

    Oluwafemi lamented the abysmal fund devoted to research institutions, calling for the establishment of pulp and paper institute to save the country from the humongous losses.

    “It is unfortunate that 90 percent of papers used in Nigeria are imported,” Oluwafemi said, while presenting a paper entitled, ‘Long Fibre Pulp Production in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges.’”

    The professor called for the reversal of the privatisation, saying the process was faulty. He equally urged the government to set up ‘indigenous long fibre pulpwood improvement programme’ and the establishment of small-scale pulp and paper mill, and formation of cooperatives in the sourcing of raw materials. He noted that a country such as India uses rice husk as base raw material to produce pulp creating over 300,000 jobs while the sector provides over 1,500,000 jobs in China.

    He listed other nations such as Pakistan with 65,000 jobs, Brazil, 70,000, Canada, 64,000, South Africa, 19,000, and Nigeria an abysmal 500 jobs which he said may be an exaggeration as the three mills are in a poor state.

    He advised that the sector is capable of creating thousands of jobs as in other countries.

  • Brewers: Beer not responsible for weight gain, good for heart

    Brewers: Beer not responsible for weight gain, good for heart

    Concerned  with the growing misconceptions about beer, brewers have taken steps to correct the assumptions.

    They have started a sensitisation campaign to correct some of the negative beliefs about beer because of the concern that if allowed the beer market may be hurt.

    As part of the sensitisation campaign, Nigerian Breweries has organised a media tour of one of its plants and a seminar on the subject in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Delivering a lecture at the seminar, the Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, stated that many  positive things had been said about beer just as there have been many misconceptions and negative campaigns.

    According to him, reputation matters and how people perceive the role of beer and that of brewers matter to the long-term sustainability of the industry.

    On the notion that red wine is better for the heart than beer, Agenmonmen said based on scientific findings, beer is better than red wine.

    Addressing the belief that beer contributes to body weight, he made reference to an article in The Telegraph newspaper of 1995, which said: “Interestingly, scientists have found that moderate drinkers, who drink regularly but only in small amounts, had lower body weights than their non-drinking peers and those who drank a lot at once (binge drinkers).”

    He said calories were responsible for weight gain and belly fat and not beer which contain over 90 per cent water.

    Making references to a research by the United States Department of Agriculture, he observed that while table wine contained 77 calories per serving, spirits contained 250 calories, apple juice, 47 calories and orange juice, 42 calories. Beer contained fewer calories than all of them with 41 calories per serving.

    A professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Tola Atinmo, supported Agenmonmen’s nutritional claims, observing that the ingredients used in making beer contained a lot of benefits to consumers.

    Atinmo added while reviewing the condiments used in brewing beer that beer was made from four natural ingredients namely yeast, barley, hops and water.

    According to him, all four ingredients are good for the body.

    He said:“Hops is bitter and good for the liver and kidney, yeast is good for the eye, barley provides energy for the body while water is naturally recommended for the body.

    Citing a 1994 research from the United States Human Nutrition Research Centre, Atinmo said consuming moderate amounts of alcohol did not cause weight gain or an excess of body fat. Rather, he said, alcohol might help the body to regulate appetite.

    He said “Direct studies in which alcohol was ‘control fed’ to humans showed that, under normal living conditions, moderate alcohol consumption (e.g. 60–75 g alcohol per day, which is equivalent to approximately two litres of average strength beer daily) had no measurable impact on energy balance and body weight over a period of approximately one month.

    “Beer is essentially fat free. It is largely water, and most beers contain very few insoluble solids.”

  • ‘Creativity, innovation key to sustainable enterprises’

    ‘Creativity, innovation key to sustainable enterprises’

    Without creativity and innovation, business enterprises will stagnate and the much-need sustainable economic growth and development will not be achieved, the newly elected President/Chairman of Council, The Institute of Business Development (IBD), Prof Ifeanyi Achumba, has said.

    Delivering a paper titled “Survival is not enough” during his investiture/induction of members and Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, Achumba said innovation is key to sustainable success in an increasing competitive world.

    Insisting that enterprises must rapidly and repeatedly re-invent themselves to survive competition, he said the economic environment requires renewed dynamism in approach, adding that creativity and innovation are the new tonic or name of the game.

    According to him, only discerning organisations can manage the inherent changes in the new environment.

    Achumba, who stated that the on-going reforms of the Federal Government should be reinvigorated to achieve the desired objective of being less-dependent on imported goods, materials, services and technology, however, added that: “Our success, therefore, will depend on the seriousness with which enterprises undertake creative and innovative activities in terms of indigenising inputs, sourcing and developing new indigenous products.”

    He said the society would benefit tremendously from individual enterprises undertaking innovative and creative activities, hence, they  should not be left to government agencies to execute.

    “It therefore, becomes imperative for an enterprise to continuously challenge itself to finding new and better ways of doing the old thing or in fact, create new ways of doing new things,” he stated.

    Promising to bring his wealth of experience to bear on his new position, he made a case for an inward-looking strategy to move the country forward.

    The highpoint of the event was the induction of four members made up of three associates and one fellow.

    The Registrar/CEO, IBD, Mr. Paul Ikele, said the induction was an aspect of the institute’s continued professional development to ensure that members acquire new knowledge to develop themselves and grow the institute. He said the fellows were expected to bring the knowledge from their various organisations to bear on it.

    Ikele said the institute’s plan is to continuously innovate and be pro-active and creative, as well as think deeper on how to turn around the economic fortunes of Nigeria so it  can compete with other developed countries. “We want to build that edge to ensure we key in,” he told The Nation, on the sideline of the induction.

    IBD’s immediate past President/Chairman of Council Mr. Ifeanyi Obibuzor agreed with him, noting that there is a need to make the institute more visible. “We have to be more aggressive and reach out to the media. We also need to take our institutional problems and begin to solve them. We must look into the challenges of the small and medium businesses that have survived under this environment,” he said.

    Giving his scorecard as the third president, Obibuzor said the institute under his watch acquired a befitting office. He also said the its membership drive led to an improvement in membership.

    He charged the new president to build on the achievements of his administration, saying, “We need to look at long term planning as an Institute and as a nation and then access what we have done, the gaps and how to bridge them.”

  • Manufacturers seek clarifications on power supply operations

    • MAN commends Fed Govt for dropping planned VAT increase

    Manufacturers have called for clarification on the role of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Transitional Electricity Marketing Company. To them, it will ensure a lasting panacea to the challenge of erratic power supply stifling their operations. They made the call on the heels of firms suffering from epileptic distribution of power.

    Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Apapa Chapter, Mr. BabatundeOdunayo also joined on the call for government to be committed to investment  in power generation and supply to aid efficient management of the various sectors of the value chain.

    Speaking at the 6th business luncheon of the association, Odunayo lamented the hiccups in the sector, noting that the high cost of production of alternative energy source negatively affects the profitability of manufacturing operations and competitiveness of their products.

    He regretted that the chunk of indigenous Nigerian businesses are into retailing as against manufacturing, which they are meant to do, as a result of the unhealthy operating system occasioned by high infrastructure deficit.

    He stressed that for meaningful growth in the manufacturing sector the current challenges in energy and other infrastructural deficits must be effectively addressed.

    “Until now, the Nigerian industry has clearly not been efficient in meeting the needs of consumers. The irregular energy service being provided and its rising high cost have weakened the manufacturing sector over the years. This weakening emanated from heavy investment in own-generators, full complement of spare parts, use of expensive diesel and the investment in full complement of staff for the maintenance of generators.”

    Despite her stand as the largest country in Africa, accounting for almost 15 per cent of the continent’s population, Odunayo noted that Nigeria has the lowest per capita energy consumption (40Kw/000 inhabitants) when placed side by side to South Africa’s 270Kw/000 inhabitants and Indonesia’s 120Kw/000.

    He also expressed disenchantment in the transformation agenda wrought by the previous government, saying it planned to achieve 12 Gigawatts capacity in 2014, 14 Gigawatts in 2015, and 20.3 Gigawatts by 2016, but failed to meet the projections. He added that Nigeria still struggles with 4 Gigawatts.

    He urged government to provide a financially enabling ambience to revamp the sector. He said: “Unfortunately in an era where the country is financially crippled, so much investment is yet to be made in the transformation in regards to power sector. A lot of money is required and if investment is not made, you cannot expect magic to happen. We have the right transformation agenda, which are very clear with, but the financial capability to invest and expand capacity remains something that is eluding us.”

    Deputy Managing Director, Eko Distribution Company Plc, Mr. Ramesh Narayanan, said certain factors constrain the supply chain at the level of power generation, transmission and distribution. Some of the impediments, according to him, include inefficient cum outdated technology and dearth of national grid. “This is responsible for the bottleneck hindering access from power source to the point of use, hence resulting in poor quality of supply,” he said.

    He called for substantial investment and upgrade of facilities in the power sector and further  advised that plants with improved generation capacity should be situated in proximity to power sources such as pipe lines to reduce cost of operation and enhance efficiency.

    “Users should support the efficiency cause by using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in lieu of fluorescent lamps, install capacitors when using inductive load, switching devices off when not in use and avoid illegal abstraction of energy,” he said.

    Governor AkinwunmiAmbode, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Olalekan Akodu, reassured MAN of its commitment to ease the process of doing business by removing all bottlenecks associated with business operations in the state.

    Praising MAN, he described the association as a front line stakeholder in the resuscitation of the manufacturing sector, noting that its official input is vital to the development and growth of the economy. He added that the government will seamlessly support their operations.

    In a related development, MAN has commended the Federal Government for dropping the planned increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT). Acknowledging the cancellation, the association said it was a timely move as the manufacturing environment remains unfriendly. “Increasing the VAT rate will, therefore, only exacerbate the challenges of the manufacturing sector as well as the cost of production and make local products even less competitive,” the association said.

    It continued: “Nigeria is a high cost environment with many challenges that have lingered on for decades. Manufacturers in Nigeria are faced with the challenges of providing own infrastructure, which in some states of the federation are subjected to taxes by the government.

    “A situation where a manufacturing company is forced to run on generators most of the time, is to say the least, unacceptable. This accounts for about 40 per cent of the cost of production whereas in some climes, these are taken for granted.  Lending rates in Nigeria, especially to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), are about the highest in the world.”

    In a statement signed by the MAN president, Mr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, he said major challenges include infrastructure, cost, environmental and social challenges.

  • ‘Importation of poultry products must stop’

    Poultry farmers have decried the importation of frozen poultry products into Nigeria and are advocating  a stop to the trend.

    The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Plateau chapter, Mr John Dasar, expressed concern at a sensitisation workshop organised for stakeholders. Dasar explained that the health hazard of consuming such imported poultry products was high.

    The workshop themed: ‘’Economic and Health Implications of Smuggled Poultry Products’’, was jointly organised by PAN, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    The chairman said the rationale behind the workshop was to sensitise the public to consume only wholesome poultry products reared locally in Nigeria.Dasar said the major bane of the poultry industry  was the unwholesome smuggling of frozen poultry products despite the ban by the Federal Government.

    According to him, the total fight against this illegal activity would not only make the industry experience rapid growth, but would create more jobs for the teeming youths.

    ‘’The importation of these poultry products into Nigeria is really killing our business and it is also a major drawback for the industry.If we are able to totally stop the consumption of imported poultry products, the local industry, within a short time, will thrive. It will create a lot of jobs for the unemployed.

    ‘’So, we will not sit down and allow things go wrong; we stand firmly to ensure that this ugly activity is nipped in the bud,’’ he said.

    In a keynote address, NAFDAC’s Director General, Dr Paul Orhi, represented by Mrs Josephine Dayilim, said the consumption of imported poultry products has high health implications. She said the buying of smuggled products does not only encourage economic sabotage, but  damages the human system, hence warned the public to desist from consuming it.

    Commending the chapter for organising the sensitisation programme, PAN national president, Mr OnaloAbbah said the chapter was the first in the North-Central zone to replicate the campaign against the importation of smuggled products.

    The president said the poultry industry in Nigeria was doing well, as it was the largest producer of eggs, but however, decried the activity of smugglers.

    ‘’We must collectively fight this menace, package our local products with some sense of decency, otherwise we will continue to go down the drain,’’ he urged.

    Abbah further charged poultry farmers to take bio-security measures very seriously so as to save the industry from total collapse.

    In  a goodwill message, Co-Chairman, Plateau  House Committee  on Agriculture, Peter Ibrahim,   assured the farmers that the Assembly would enact laws that would enable poultry business remain viable in the state.

  • Local sugar production begins in 2016, says Council

    The Federal Government on has said the domestic production of sugar would take off from next year with an estimated initial output of 700,000 tons.

    Dr Latif Busari, the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), said this in an interview in Abuja.Busari said the projected take off output would be contributed by three private investors, Dangote, Bua and Flour Mill Sugar Companies.

    To this effect, he said the three companies had already signed separate agreements with the government for the execution of backward integration projects, which the council was monitoring.

    “The Savanah Sugar Company in Adamawa, which was acquired by the Dangote Group in 2002, has also given its commitment to commence production in 2016. Currently, they have expanded their field in Numan to about 7,000 hectares and they are planning to further expand it to 10,000 hectares by 2018 with an installed capacity of 100,000 tons.

    He explained that the sugar project owned by Flour Mill at Sunti, Niger State, will also begin operation by 2016 with an estimation of 50,000 ton per hectare sugar mill.

    Busari, who was appraising the sector since independence, noted that major achievements had been recorded, especially in the area of establishment of sugar refineries in the country. He said: “Twenty years ago, the Savanah Sugar Company and the Nigerian Sugar Company, which were the two major sugar companies in the country, were at a point of collapse.

    What happened between 1995 and 2005, ten years later, was mainly the establishment of refineries, first was the Dangote Sugar Refinery in 2000 followed by Bua refinery in 2006,’’ Busari said.

  • MAN canvasses ‘development economics’

    MAN canvasses ‘development economics’

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is pushing what it calls development economics as against the unfettered opening of the country  to cheap and sometimes substandard  goods. It said unrestricted access to “our markets promotes unemployment and poverty”.

    NAN President  Dr. Frank Jacobs, responding to a statement credited to  US Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Charles H. Revkin, warning Nigeria of the dangers of shutting out foreign competitors, said MAN recognised the  disadvantage the country would be exposed to if it opens up its economy to indiscriminate trade relations with advanced countries.

    “First, the advanced countries would trade capital goods, such as plant and machinery, medical, agricultural machinery, aviation equipment, airplanes, and others while Nigeria would only trade commodity goods, such as cocoa, pepper, sesame seed, among others.

    “The implication will be that while the advanced countries get richer and more industrialised, Nigeria will remain a commodity country and in perpetual de-industrialisation.

    “Trade is important but Nigeria must be cautious to ensure that most of the goods coming into the market are input materials for the productive sectors and not finished consumer goods that will wipe out existing domestic industrial efforts and truncate new industrial initiatives”, he advised.

    He maintained that for Nigeria to sit on the same table with countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, China, to appropriate the gains of trade, it must be able to trade industrial goods like the advanced economies.

    Jacobs advised policy makers on the need to look inwards to improve its industrial capacities by insisting on the tenets of the Backward Integration agenda as embedded in the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

  • ‘Nigeria’s private security regulation hazy’

    ‘Nigeria’s private security regulation hazy’

    Despite the prevailing high level of insecurity, Nigeria, still has unclear regulations for the private security sub-sector.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Risk Control Services Nigeria Limited, Olufemi Ajayi, made, this submission while receiving the ISO 9001:2008 certificate submission from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for his company.

    According to Ajayi, most of the regulations in the private security industry are still targeted at security guards, but the industry incorporates manufacturers, consultants and trainers.

    He urged the Federal Government to unveil a holistic policy for all players in the industry, saying:“The truth is that insecurity thrives in an atmosphere of disorder.”

    The company is the first and only security consulting company in West Africa that has submitted and obtained ISO certification for its background screening service.

    “Private security in Nigeria is not well-regulated. This is why we submitted to international standards,” he said.

    Insecurity, ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery to Boko Haram insurgency, has thrived in the country. Nigeria has, incidentally, relied on fewer than 400,000 police officers and few private security guards to protect its over 170 million population.

    Ajayi said for the sector to help improve security, its institution and rules must be strengthened, as his company’s quest for ISO necessitated a one-year rigorous process of systems enhancements and quality improvements under the supervision of our consultants and the guidance of auditors from  SON.

    He also revealed that his company has established an internationally acclaimed school for accredited National Diploma in Security Management,  Technology and IT networks and Electronic Security to train security managers.

    “Students from this academy will have basic knowledge in every area of security,” the CEO said.

    He further confirmed that National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the body that regulates polytechnics and colleges of education, has given the academy a licence while accrediting two of its programs – Security Management and Technology, and. IT Networks and Electronic Security.

    Chairman of the company Tokunbo Talabi said, “Nigeria is a country of high risk.”

    According to Talabi, the government should create an enabling environment that will help institutions and organisations to thrive.

    “We need infrastructure provision to ensure that all spectrum of security is covered. International companies need to do business with our local businesses but they cannot do as much as they want to without authentic information on the companies the deal with, this is where we come in.

    Unfortunately our laws cover the rudimentary levels. We need to engage decision makers to ensure that this spectrum of security is fully covered,” Talabi added.

    Praising them, Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Odumodu said a company that wants enduring foot print in economic competitiveness in these challenging times should aspire to get enlisted into the ISO certification. He said that remains the only way they can be recognized globally.

    “Quality for excellence has no destination and remains a moving target. Your product that won you the certification delivers various security solutions in all manner of forms to industries, banks, service industry and the manufacturing sector. There is a need for you to consistently improve on your services to retain the certification as the bedrock of the certification is integrity, quality, passion and professionalism.”

    The SON chief represented by the Director Management Certification, Mrs Oluremi Ayeni, an engineer commended the   management of Risk Control Services Nigeria Ltd, on their robust database that has the data of graduates from Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions in the last twenty years. He said the feat is not only the first in West Africa but a platform to eliminate the hassles employers of labour go through to confirm claims by would be employees.

    Furthermore, he said the total security package of the company, which includes forensic, anti-counterfeiting and background screening, is more attractive as the top notch service.

  • Firm to invest N14b in Lagos

    A German investor, Mrs Isabel Knauf, is poised to establish an arm of her construction and manufacturing firm, Knauf Group International, in Lagos.

    Knauf made this known during a visit of a group of diplomats and investors, led by the German Ambassador, Mr Michael Zenner to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at Ikeja.

    She solicited the support of the governor in siting a $70 million (N14 billion) building and construction tools manufacturing company in Lagos.  She said the choice of Lagos was informed by its proximity to the ports, gas pipelines and a ready market.

    “We are looking to invest and build a factory here and we want your support. We have been to Lekki Sea Port and want to proceed on investing straight off. I wish to express our interest in investing about $70 million in construction tools factory in Lagos for the first stage,” Knauf said.

    Zenner canvassed the increased presence of German businesses in Lagos and improved bilateral trade relations with the state government.

    ”We are here to introduce and express our interest in business and economic cooperation, especially in food processing and building materials. A lot of allied companies in Germany also wish to join hands in the investment drive of the governor,’’ he said.

    Ambode described Lagos as the economic hub of Nigeria and fifth largest economy in Africa, making it investors’ destination in Nigeria. He said his administration was ready to receive German investors and activate a state-sister relationship with Hamburg to boost cooperation.

    His words: “As the economic hub of the country, we pride ourselves as the largest of the nation’s economy with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of  $131 billion.For any German company that wants to do business in Nigeria, Lagos is your best bet.”

    Assuring of a secured environment for business, Ambode said the investment would boost Lagos as an investor-friendly state.

    “I want to say openly that we are committed to giving everything required by this group to start work immediately,” he said.

  • Sanusi urges Fed Govt on infrastructure growth

    Sanusi urges Fed Govt on infrastructure growth

    Former Central Bank Governor, and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11,  has advised the Federal Government to adopt a holistic approach in resolving infrastructural problems in order to move the country forward.

    He said infrastructural development should not be limited to road construction, but extended to other sectors, such as health and education to achieve meaningful socio-economic growth.

    Sanusi, in a statement  while giving his approval to the forthcoming 2015 Nigeria Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Summit  billed to hold in the last quarter of this year, said the development of social infrastructure, especially health and education is critical to the wellbeing of the people.

    In the statement entitled: ‘Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11 Welcomes Focus on Social Infrastructure at the forthcoming Infrastructure Private Public Partnership (PPP) Summit,’  said  this during a visit to his palace in Kano, by the Summit Planning Team headed by A. B. Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    He said the non-implementation of several recommendations from previous successful Summits by past Governments, has affected infrastructural developments in Nigeria, urging the team to ensure that the summit provides solution to  problems relating to infrastructural gaps among others,  besetting the growth of the country.

    His words: “I understand the critical role infrastructure plays in developing our economy, and in particular, the need for Nigeria to address the key social infrastructure deficit particularly in education and health that will deliver a better quality of life not just for the elite, but for those in society for whom access to one thousand naira could make the difference between losing a child and obtaining the medication and treatment that could save a child’s life”.

    In his response, the leader of the delegation, Mahmoud, said the summit would put in place a roadmap that would make government at all levels work together to develop critical infrastructure through public private partnerships.

    Also, Gori Olusina Daniel, partner and Africa Regional Director at Adams & Moore, said the summit would focus on four critical sectors– Power, Health, Transport and Education, in order to align with the Federal Government’s development priorities.

    Olusina, also a member of the delegation, said: “This summit is about charting the way forward in four critical sectors and establishing a private sector led Community of Practice, working in collaboration with government across all levels that will ensure the successful implementation of these roadmaps”.