Lagos Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, has appealed to Lagosians to bag their wastes and neatly place them where Lagos State Waste Management Authority Agency (LAWMA) or other refuse disposal vehicles can pick them.
Bello made this appeal at a Media forum organised by What Can I Give at Yaba, Lagos.
With the theme: Climate Action as a Bio-Diversity issue: Beat plastic pollution by promoting awareness and action for the protection of our environment,” the forum attracted environmentalists, young entrepreneurs, students. media practitioners and government agencies.
He said the government is aware of the problem caused by indiscriminate disposal of bottles and has been working to combat it in a sustainable manner.
He expressed concerns about the reckless abandonment with which the masses dispose plastics.
He lamented bottles have not only blocked a lot of drainage systems but are easily found littered on the roads.
“The havoc being caused by this act of indiscriminate disposal of plastics by passers by and passengers in vehicles are being undermined by the perpetrators who are unaware of the negative effect on not only on the efforts of the government handling waste management but also on the climate change,” he said.
He noted that while the government of Lagos State would continue to welcome constructive criticism, Lagosians are expected to guide against indiscriminate throwing of bottles.
Commending “What Can I Give” for organising the symposium, Bello encouraged the NGO to get the data base of all NGOs working on environment and climate change with a view to having continuous collaboration with the government.
Co-founder of What Can I Give, Olufemi Ibitoye, said:
“We are partnering with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment as the major stakeholder in the industry, knowing that there is no way we can talk about climate change without involving the Ministry as we would always need policies and enforcement which can only be provided by the Ministry.”
He called on Nigerians to stop littering plastics because it would lead to environmental hazards such as blocking drainage, which could cause flood that endanger lives but also contribute to climate change.
An indigenous firm, MG Vowgas Limited, based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been commended for building a specialised airboat that has the capability to move on land and on water.
The boat, known as air ballistic boat, can be fitted with arms and ammunition to fire on land or sea. It was built with local content.
This feat has won the company the “Local Content Company of the Year” Award, at the just-concluded Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS).
This achievement has made stakeholders to clamour for government to support indigenous companies to do more. One of such calls was made by Lawrence Nwachukwu, a player in the oil, gas and maritime industries.
According to him, if indigenous firms are supported by the government and its agencies, they would be in a position to provide the much needed employment opportunities for many Nigerians presently roaming the streets for non-existing jobs.
“If in its own little way, this company can do this, imagine what it will do if it is given the desired support by the government. I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that not only MG Vowgas Limited but other firms would be in a position to address the numerous challenges posed by unemployment in the country.
It will also address the issue of insecurity in the country. This is due to the fact that anyone who is fully engaged in any meaningful venture will not be readily available for insurgency, banditry, terrorism or any other form of criminal activities in the country.
That is why I am of the view that the government should do everything possible to build indigenous capacity in all sectors of the economy especially in the oil and gas industry, as well as the maritime sector of the economy,” he added.
The Group Managing Director of MG Vowgas Limited, Mr. Godwin Izomor, said firm is ready to partner with the Nigeria Army to produce some of the equipment the military procures from overseas for its operations.
He maintained that the firm has what it takes to deliver on its mandate, particularly in the production of the much needed specialised equipment for the military. The firm is also working closely with the Defence Research and Development Bureau (BRDB) of the Ministry of Defence to build ballistic missiles, submarines, satellite rockets and other specialised equipment for the military.
His words: “We have what it takes to deliver. We have the facilities. We also have the personnel, Nigerians and expatriates. What we need is the support and encouragement of stakeholders particularly the government. I can assure you that when we get the support from all stakeholders, the sky is the limit for what we want to achieve in the months ahead.”
To ensure the sustainability of the company’s operations, Izomor revealed that the Nigerian personnel in the company are already understudying some of the expatriates so that with time, they would be in a position to effectively take over their present roles and responsibilities in the firm.
According to him, some military chiefs have also visited the company’s facilities and were impressed by what they met on ground. “We demonstrated what this boat can do on land and water to his entourage.
The military chief and his entourage saw what we have on ground at our facility and they were impressed by the strides we have made so far. Remember, this is a wholly indigenous firm. In line with the provisions of the Local Content Act, we source most of our materials locally,” he said.
The West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) has received Maersk’s first direct service container ship from Far East at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
The vessel, a gearless 4,800 24-feet Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity carrier, sailed into Onne Port with Maersk Line flagship under its FEW3 service, thereby becoming the first Maersk vessel to call at Onne Port without first calling at any Lagos port.
WACT’s Commercial Manager, Noah Sheriff, said with the development, the FEW3 service has started. He said the company, with its Mobile Harbour Cranes, has been positioned to handle such vessels.
Sheriff further said the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) initiative to bring larger vessels into other ports aligned with WACT’s Phase 2 terminal upgrade project, which would ensure that its mobile harbour cranes and other container handling equipment are increased by the third quarter of this year.
“It is important to note that this new service will call WACT Onne weekly, coupled with the benefit of a short transit time for cargo coming from Far East. This is a product many customers have been asking, and we at WACT shall ensure that we turn these vessels around quickly,” Sheriff said.
The East Nigeria Manager of Maersk Nigeria Limited, Chibuzor Ejiofor, said the ship call was historic and would benefit businesses in the area and its surroundings. She said there is a need to create awareness on the coming of KYPARISSIA not because she’s one of the largest vessels that ever called at Onne, but she is the first Far East vesselto call at Onne without calling at Lagos ports.
“Not to impact the Onne based customers or cargo destined for eastern Nigeria so much, Maersk decided to put Onne on a direct service from Far East, that doesn’t mean that Maersk doesn’t call Lagos. We are still calling Tin Can and Apapa but that is on another service altogether. We now have a service that comes all the way from the Far East to Onne without calling Lagos.
“So, for Onne based customers, I think that’s something to be really attractive as it adds value to your business. You can get your cargo on time directly from Far East without adding 30 days of Lagos waiting time. You can turn around your money, your products and that’s why we are here just to recognise this unique offering to our customers,” she said.
The Port Manager, Onne Port, Ismaila Al-Hassan, who was represented at a brief reception for the gearless vessel by the port’s Traffic Manager, Prince Zhattau, described the direct service to the port as a welcome development as it would help to decongest Lagos ports.
WACT has been handling gearless vessels, which previously could only be handled at the ports in Lagos, since 2019 after spending $14 million in its Phase 1 upgrade to acquire modern cargo equipment including two Mobile Harbour Cranes, 14 specialised terminal trucks and two reach stackers. The investment brought high operational efficiency and set WACT apart from other ports in Nigeria.
Stakeholders maintained that WACT, which has become the preferred container terminal outside the Lagos area, was fast gaining reputation as the gateway to eastern Nigeria and the alternative to the ports in Lagos.
The company said it would deploy new equipment— three additional Mobile Harbour Cranes to bring the number of cranes at the terminal to five; 20 Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes (RTGs) and three Reach Stackers in its Phase 2 upgrade in the next 18 months.
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), is shopping for another investor for the Jos Inland Dry Port, The Nation has learnt.
The former concessionaire of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Heipang, Jos, Plateau State, Duncan Maritime Ventures, it was also gathered, has pulled out of the project.
NSC Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hassan Bello, said the government through the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amechi has given a directive that all Inland Container Depot Projects (ICD) must be completed and inaugurated as soon as possible to boost the economy.
He noted that the Council promotes and facilitates the establishment of ICD on the basis of Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The ICD, he stated, is to bring shipping to the doorsteps of shippers, assist in decongesting the seaport and revive and modernise the railway.
The Managing Director of Duncan Maritime Limited, Mr Bartho Nyelong, said the company’s inability to implement the Jos Inland Dry Port project was due to certain challenges that made them back out of the project.
A senior official of the Plateau State Government, Mr Ezekiel Gomos, said the state government was enthusiastic about the project and the opportunities the ICD will bring to the development of the state and its people.
Skilled human resources drive economic growth.Therefore, Nigeria must prioritise human capital development to achieve that objective,TOBA AGBOOLA writes.
Human beings are the most important and promising source of productivity and economic growth. Equipment and technology are products of human minds and can only be made productive by people.
Therefore, the success of any productive programme depends on human innovative ideas and creativity.
Human capital is an important factor used in converting all resources to mankind’s use and benefit. Economists observed that the development and utilisation of human capital is important in a nation’s economic growth.
Experts believe stakeholders need to evolve a more pragmatic means of developing human capabilities, since it is seen as an important tool for economic growth.
While canvassing proper institutional framework to look into the manpower needs of the various sectors, they called for implementation of policies that will lead to the overall growth of the economy.
They said two key barometers to gauge the development of human capital are education and health. It is therefore unfortunate that Nigeria, as a country, has performed woefully in those two key areas.
While education and heath sectors are underfunded by government at federal, states and local levels, the little funding appropriated for these sectors by public and private sector players were mismanaged, leading to dearth of human capital.
Tertiary institutions are churning out half-baked graduates that are less useful in the labour market, while capital flight continues to dominate the health sector in the country with Nigerians seeking medical attention abroad, even as most qualified doctors in the country keep moving abroad at the slightest opportunity.
An academic, Ojo Johnson Adelakun, noted that, as the global economy shifts towards more knowledge-based sectors, such as: the manufacture of ICT devices, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and other ICT- based services, research and development (R&D), among others, skills and human capital development become central issues for policy makers and practitioners engaged in economic development both at the national and regional level.
Nigeria as a country, he added, is immensely endowed both in natural and human resources and that the pool of resources from one end to the other is unquantifiable to such extent that, given a dynamic leadership, economic prosperity would have been achieved in late 20th century.
Proffering solutions to the dearth of human capital in the country, he said: “What really matters in Nigeria is the empowerment of people and the mobilisation of economic surplus into productive investment channels.
There is also the need for the Nigerian economy to eliminate or minimise those constraints towards human capital development so as to enhance rapid economic growth.”
Recommending that efforts be geared toward improving the standard of education in Nigeria, he added that substantial amount of government budgetary allocation should be directed towards the education sector, calling for establishment of special agencies with the responsibility of improving the skills and capabilities of human capital in the country.
Director-General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Mr Timothy Olawale identified lack of funding as the major problem of human capital.
This, he said, has led to shortage of skilled personnel, unemployment and poverty, believing that there can be no significant growth in any country without adequate investment in human capital.
“A typical example is the Asian tigers, Taiwan, Singapore; whose economies experienced sharp improvements via substantial investment in human capital.
It was recommended by the United Nations that developing countries should invest a minimum of 26 per cent on education and the World Health Organisation (WHO) specified at least five per cent on health,” he pointed out. Nigeria, he said, has not been able to meet this benchmark.
In order to increase the enrolment rate in institutions of learning, he said there is need for the implementation of the free Universal Basic Education (UBE) and free health care programmes at the federal, state and local government levels.
Then, government should create an enabling environment to encourage private sector investment in the education and health sectors, he stressed.
“Above all, a major bane to the progress of the Nigerian economy is corruption. It is recommended that the government should see to the level of corruption in the education and health sector; there should be proper machinery put in place and a system that severely punishes corrupt officials,” he advised.
Chairman, Africa Oil & Gas Talent Summit(AOGS) Advisory Council, Mr. Felix Amieyeofori identified human capital development as key to grow the country’s oil industry, thereby, challenging the Federal Government and other stakeholders to give it a topmost attention.
This, he said, has become necessary, especially as, people are the real assets in any economy.
He said the nation’s oil and gas industry currently needs very skillful human capital to drive operations while delivering value to stakeholders.
Amieyeofori, who regretted that the country has been ranked as one of the least in human capital index, said: “Nigeria is ranked 152 out of 157 countries on the World Bank 2018/19 Human Capital Index list.
Nigeria shared the bottom of the index with countries like Chad, South Sudan, Niger, Mali, and Liberia. Of the 85.08 million Labour force by third quarter 2017, only 7.14 per cent work in any form of industry, including the oil and gas industry.”
But the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, said the Federal Government has made significant increases in capital allocations in human capital-related sectors in the last three years in spite of dwindling revenues. This is to demonstrate its commitment to improving human capital development at the national level.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has increased the capital expenditure for health and education.
Meanwhile, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) said the Federal Government must invest more in the development of the citizens.
According to its President, Malachy Ugwummadu, capital development is a foundation for human development. He said the urgency of now demands that the government creates an enabling economic environment to be able to drive the needed human capital development.
Advising the Federal Government, he said: “You have the support of the international community. The Nigerian private sector will continue to invest. We are eager to help, but we know we can’t lead. You must lead.
“I believe in the grand vision of Nigeria’s future. I believe in it because I’ve seen it. It’s represented by this line — the line that depends on healthy, educated people and the surge of economic activity they will unleash.
And that means that the future depends on all of you — and your leadership in the years to come.”
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Managing Director/CEO, Ahmed Kuru is pushing for the recovery of over N5.4 trillion debts owed the corporation by obligors, mainly billionaires. The corporation has taken steps to ensure that more debts are recovered through negotiations and resolutions, using cash recoveries, asset forfeitures and capital restructuring. It is also deploying joint ventures for asset operations and land development while there are plans to input bankruptcy tag on recalcitrant obligors, writes COLLINS NWEZE
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is doing everything possible to recover over N5.4 trillion debts from bad debtors.
The corporation, among other moves, is planning to declare recalcitrant debtors to the corporation bankrupt based on advice from Senior Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi, Muyiwa Balogun, to the agency.
The legal consultant had challenged AMCON and Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC) to leverage the 2019 Amended AMCON Act and declare AMCON obligors who are holding public office bankrupt.
The new Amended AMCON Act, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, provided AMCON with sweeping powers, intended to help the corporation recover the debts owed it by obligors.
AMCON was created in 2010 as a result of the global economic crises of 2008/2009, which nearly crippled the financial sector.
Speaking at a seminar for judges of the FHC in Abuja, Balogun argued that the only alternative to the recovery challenge was for the judges to take the matter as a national assignment and explore all the powers of the new amendment.
“Once you are declared bankrupt, you cannot hold public office. Today, we have AMCON debtors making laws for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
AMCON, with your support, needs to go to court and declare such individuals bankrupt. Given the sunset period of AMCON and the fact that the debt we are talking about is the commonwealth of Nigeria, it would not be out of place to take the full advantage of the bankruptcy power, among other special powers in the new amendment,” he said.
AMCON Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Kuru, said though obligors have been working hard to stretch the corporation to the sunset period, the corporation is determined to achieve its mandate within the limited time available (and within the law).
The amendment of the AMCON Act, he stated, could only be as effective as the judiciary pronounces on its provisions within the interpretative powers vested by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
After over eight years into its operation, and ahead of 2021 sunset period, AMCON has recovered N1 trillion through assets seizure, forfeiture or cash payment.
Data from AMCON showed that of the recovered funds, cash assets account for 60 per cent and non-cash assets, such as properties and equity securities, account for the balance of 40 per cent.
The recovered cash represents 18.51 per cent of the total sum. Financial pundits have, therefore, expressed doubts on the possibility of the corporation recovering substantial part of the debts in the next three years even as the interest accrued to the debts has continued to rise, bringing the total obligation back to N5.4 trillion, despite the N1 trillion recovered.
The big question is: what happens to the outstanding debts owed the corporation and who inherits them after the sunset period? It was such a question that made many debtors adopt a wait-and-see plan, hoping that their debts would be forgiven when the corporation’s 10-year timeline ends.
Kuru said the corporation had taken steps to ensure more debts were recovered through negotiations and resolutions, using cash recoveries, asset forfeitures and capital restructuring for short to mid-term exits, including deploying Joint Venture arrangements for asset operations and land development.
He said AMCON has done enough of negotiations with its obligors who have remained not just difficult but recalcitrant in the last eight years.
The AMCON chief also disclosed that Ernst & Young (multinational financial advisory firm), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) are pushing to end the operation of corporation.
He said: “AMCON is working with the three institutions to ‘tinker things a little’ and then at certain point in time liaising with the National Assembly to draw a line.”
New asset take over
Recently, AMCON had taken over Cedar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Limited over N29 billion bad debt and appointed Receiver/Manager to oversee the firm.
Justice C.J. Aneke of the Federal High Court Lagos Division has granted an injunction against Cedar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Limited on the application of AMCON over the debt.
AMCON subsequently took possession of the assets of the company promoted by Olajide Omokore and others as ordered by the court through Godwin Nwekoyo, the Receiver/Manager who also received protective orders from the court.
Kuru said the corporation would continue to sustain its high tempo of recoveries, by strategically focusing more on enforcements especially since AMCON’s top obligors have resorted to hiding under all manner of technicalities of the law to delay the repayment of their debt to the detriment of the economy.
The assets, which are under AMCON are Block A, No. 46 Gerrard Road, Ikoyi Lagos State, comprising 26 flats; Plot 1236, River Niger Street, off River Benue Street, Maitama, Federal Capital Territory (FCT); as well as Marion Apartment, Block 8, No. 4 & 5, Onikoyi Estate, Banana Island, Lagos State, consisting of 43 units of apartments.
AMCON is also in possession of No. 33A, Cooper Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State; No. 8, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State as well as Manson Apartments, No. 6, Gerrard Road, Lagos State comprising 60 units of three-bedroom apartments.
Justice Aneke gave the orders following the failure of the company as well as Omokore, Alhaji Isiaka Mohammed, Joseph Bazuaye, Silas Ode and others to pay AMCON over N15 billion out of the total outstanding indebtedness of N29 billion owed the recovery agency.
The 2009 banking crisis was triggered by the poor quality of bank assets because then, many banks suffered from an overhang of “non-performing loans”, also described as “toxic assets” or “troubled assets”.
To contain the crisis, AMCON was established as a bank resolution vehicle through the AMCON Act.
The Amendment Act, 2019 empowers the agency to access the financial details of debtors. The agency can place bank accounts of debtors under surveillance.
The law empowers AMCON to bypass any legal or procedural restriction, specifically those protecting banking details of debtors, so that the debt-mopping agency could gain access to such records.
AMCON can establish the location of debtors’ funds at home or in the Diaspora. The law also empowers AMCON to furnish government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with a list of debtors, and advise government to deny contract awards to such defaulting firms and persons.
As a complement to the new law, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has set up a task force to facilitate ways to recover over N5 trillion debts owed AMCON.
The agencies are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Also, Section 48 of the AMCON Act empowers AMCON to either act as, or appoint a receiver for a debtor-company whose assets have been charged, mortgaged or pledged as security to AMCON.
This in itself is a unique provision. First, AMCON may act as a receiver, which is a departure from the provisions under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, thereby enabling it to throw its resources, to ensure quick recovery of debts.
The issue of AMCON’s debt recovery drive has become complex. It touches on the thoughts and deliberations of policy makers, AMCON executives, and even the average citizen as AMCON oversees funds that trace their roots to the taxpayer.
“For those of us in the judiciary, we are partners in ensuring that AMCON meets the mandate conferred upon it by the AMCON Act, which we are called upon to interpret, from time to time. Besides, task to strengthen AMCON’s recovery drive is of national concern.
“The provisions are further strengthened when dealing with a situation where AMCON or a receiver appointed by it, opts to manage the affairs of the debtor company.
In such an instance, the enforcement of judgements, claims, debt enforcement procedures existing or being pursued before the publication of the notice of the receiver to manage the affairs of the debtor company stands suspended and unenforceable against the debtor company and corporation’s receiver for a period of one year from the notice or the period that the receiver continues to manage the affairs of the obligor company,” the judge said.
“There are concerns as to whether the provisions on receiver management as contained in the AMCON Act are actually fit for purpose or whether they introduce business rescue legislation into Nigeria by the back door.
In the event that they do in fact introduce a form of business rescue, it is evident that this may be a clog in the wheel of AMCON’s recovery drive. Further analysis on this point is provided in paragraph 39 below”.
In addition to receivership, AMCON is also empowered under Section 49 of the AMCON Act to, through an application ex-parte; seek a forfeiture order against the assets of a debtor.
This is a particularly important power as it enables AMCON to move stealthily without tipping off otherwise crafty debtors.
The forfeiture order vests the control and possession of the assets in AMCON, pending trial and judgement. Upon a favourable judgment, the assets in question are permanently forfeited to AMCON.
“What is clear is that these powers serve as a form of security for AMCON in litigating appropriate cases, comforted by the fact that at the end of trial, the fruits, in the form of the forfeited assets would flow to AMCON.
This is clearly a better position than a situation where AMCON successfully prosecutes a case in court but is left to subsequently undertake the ordeal of enforcement post – judgment with the risk that the assets in question may be dissipated by the time of enforcement.”
Nigeria’s digital-led strategy to become more competitive in the 21st century global economy may have come under serious threat. Acute shortage of digital skills is a major impediment for organisations willing to implement the transition to a digital economy. With technology evolving faster than the rate at which digital skills are being developed, experts warn that without urgent up-skilling, Nigeria risks being left behind in the digital skills space. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.
Sometime last year, Labour and Employment Minister Sen. Chris Ngige brought the reality of Nigeria’s frightening unemployment scourge nearer home. While declaring open a two-day workshop on “Breaking the Resilience of High Unemployment Rate in the Country” in Abuja, he described Nigeria’s unemployment rate of 23.1 per cent and under-employment of 16.6 per cent as “alarming.”
The minister, who based his figures on the 2019 report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), however, added a scary dimension to the menace when he projected that the unemployment rate will reach 33.5 per cent by 2020, with consequences that are better imagined, if the trend is not urgently reversed.
Sadly, the dire consequences of the ballooning unemployment rate, which Ngige warned about, are no longer in the realm of imagination.
They are staring Nigerians in the face. The upsurge in violent crimes and the widespread insecurity across the country, many people believe, are largely traceable to the rising unemployment rate.
Today, kidnapping, advance fee fraud, otherwise called 419, armed robbery, prostitution, cultism, drug and child trafficking, among others, have become daily occurrences.
There has also been an upsurge in violent campaigns by terrorist groups, particularly Boko Haram insurgents and the blood thirsty herdsmen.
Many youths, for lack of paid employments, have become ready recruits into terrorist organisations, a development that confirms fears that the country is, indeed, sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
However, while the authorities are still struggling to contain these ills, albeit unsuccessfully, a new threat has emerged in the already crisis-ridden labour market.
Severe shortage of digital skills, according to experts, has become a major impediment for organisations that are willing to implement Nigeria’s digital transformation.
The country has never hidden its intension to leverage emerging digital technologies to transform the economy. For instance, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), 2017–2020, recognised the need for a digital-led strategy to make the economy more competitive in the 21st century.
The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) took this ambition a notch higher when, in 2015, it proposed the transition of the economy into a digital economy through investments in digital infrastructure, and more specifically broadband, which is a key driver of digital economy growth.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Pantami
Also, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, re-echoed this resolve at the Seventh Study Group 13 (SG13) Regional Workshop for Africa, held in Abuja, a fortnight ago. He said: “The new focus is on how to use new and emerging digital technologies to transform the socio-economic life and activities of the country…”
The two-day workshop was organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), with the theme, Standardisation of Future Networks towards Building a Better Connected Africa. Pantami said it was important that Africa positioned itself properly to key into the process of developing appropriate standards for next generation digital networks that support a digital economy.
Nearer home, where Nigeria is said to be capturing only a fraction of its digital economic potential, Pantami emphasised that “To achieve a digital economy, digital skills are central, and this has been adequately captured in the second pillar of the ‘’Digital Economy Strategy Policy Document” as approved and launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 28, 2019″.
That was at last week’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the International Business Machines (IBM) West Africa, for partnership and collaboration in digital skills development in Nigeria.
The minister rode on the platform of the MoU signing and urged institutions of learning to give priority to skills, especially digital skills over paper qualifications.
Hear him: “Digital skills are more relevant in today’s world of emerging technologies. Therefore, we must encourage innovation and drive digital literacy and skills among the populace”.
The Country General Manager, IBM, Mr. Dipo Faulkner, further drove the message home when he said: “Digital economy and emerging technologies have brought changes in skill requirements as well as unemployment, and in jobs globally today.
“There is need to bridge the gap between education and entrepreneurship to ensure that people don’t acquire education alone, but that they have skills for self-sustainability and development of their environment.”
Noting that the new collaboration between Nigeria and IBM furthers IBM’s aim of scaling digital job skills across Africa, Faulkner said the collaboration “will be IBM’s contribution to Nigeria to help bridge the skills gap. We cannot afford to be left behind in the digital economy.”
Nigeria hit by shortage of digital skills
The Nigeria-IBM collaboration and other similar efforts by the Federal Government and the private sector at honing the digital skills of Nigerians became necessary in view of the acute shortage of digital skills, which, according to experts, is already slowing the country’s transition to a digital economy.
The pool of Nigerians with digital skills validated by globally-recognised certification is said to be depleting, requiring urgent upskilling solutions to close the digital skills gap.
This, The Nation learnt, arose from the fact that the rate at which technology is evolving is faster than the rate at which skills are being developed.
What this means is that without replenishing the digital talent pool by encouraging innovation and driving digital literacy and skills among the populace, Nigeria may, indeed, be left behind in the digital economy.
Analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who brought this challenge to the fore, said in their new study of private businesses on the continent that 36 per cent of business leaders in Nigeria and other African countries admitted that they lacked the required people to achieve the full benefits of digital transformation.
In the report titled “Time to Act: The key to Private Business Growth in Africa isDigitalisation,” the analysts at the multinational professional services firm said that as a result of the skills gaps, the majority of firms in Nigeria and other West African countries said inadequate skills gap had led to significant revenue losses.
PwC said it arrived at its report from insights it gathered from 200 private businesses from nine sub-Saharan African countries and over 2,000 private business leaders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The PwC report, which was accessed by The Nation, said: “Losses were especially high in West Africa….When it comes to digital efforts, 36 per cent of leaders surveyed felt they lacked the right in-house talent to realise the full benefits. More than half seek to make up for the deficit by turning to external advice.”
Digital skills gap a global challenge
Although, a new World Bank assessment said Nigeria is capturing only a fraction of its digital economic potential and will need to make strategic investments to develop a dynamic, transformative digital economy, shortage of digital skills is, however, not peculiar to Nigeria; it a global issue.
Globally, the digital skills gap is growing at an exponential rate. According to the Coursera 2019 Global Skills Index, two thirds of the global population is falling behind in critical skills, with 90 per cent being in developing economies, including Nigeria.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) “2019 Futurescape Report,” echoed this, saying that two million jobs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, cybersecurity and blockchain will remain unfilled by 2023 due to lack of human talent.
IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets.
Over the past five years, IDC has been documenting the rise of the digital economy and the digital transformation that organisations must undergo to compete and survive in this burgeoning economy.
The corporation said that as the current decade comes to an end, the digital economy is approaching a critical tipping point.
It predicted that by 2023, the global economy will finally reach “digital supremacy” with more than half of all Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worldwide driven by products and services from digitally transformed enterprises.
“The impact on enterprises will be enormous: those not able to compete in the digitally-powered portion of the economy will be increasingly unable to compete in their core markets – the portion that is digitally dependent.
“As more than half the global economy turns digital by 2023, a new species of enterprise will be required to compete and thrive.
“Our 2020 predictions show that enterprises will prepare for the digitised economy by accelerating investments in key technologies and new operating models to become hyperspeed, hyperscaled, and hyperconnected organisations,” Senior Vice President and Chief Analyst at IDC, Frank Gens, said.
Now, with 2023 only three years away, how prepared is Nigeria in joining the global push to close the digital gap? What are the options open to Africa’s largest and most populous economy to replenish her talent pool and close the digital skills gap? Is Nigeria prioritising digital skill training?
Interestingly, the need to act by closing the digital gap is obvious not lost on Nigeria, which was why she signed the MoU with IBM West Africa for partnership and collaboration in the area of digital skills development.
The MoU provided the platform to empower Nigerian youths with digital literacy and skills, to enable innovation, design and development of indigenous solutions, self-sufficiency and make Nigeria a hub for critical skills in Africa and the world at large.
Under the partnership, and in line with the Digital Literacy initiative and drive of the Ministry, Dr. Pantami said IBM will, through its Digital Nation Africa Initiative, provide free training to Nigerians for a period of 12 to 16 weeks, in diverse areas of Information Technology (IT).
He explained that the objectives of the MoU were mainly to “create awareness and support in the development and use of digital tools and applications to improve the delivery of government services; create a pool of Nigerians with digital skills validated by globally recognised certifications; bridge the gap between the academia and the industry through sensitisation on digital tools and skills; and lower the access barrier to digital tools for the citizens.”
While this is seen by not a few analysts and commentators as a move in the right direction, they, however, noted that government must adopt a more pro-active and holistic approach to closing the nation’s widening digital skills gap, if the country must partake in reaping the bountiful benefits of a digital economy.
This is so considering a recent World Bank report, which stated that with improvements in digital connectivity, digital skills, digital financial services and other core areas of digital development, Nigeria can fully unleash new economic opportunities, create jobs and transform people’s lives.
“As the biggest economy in Africa with one of the largest populations of young people in the world, Nigeria is well-positioned to develop a strong digital economy, which would have a transformational impact on the country,” World Bank Senior Digital Development Specialist and co-author of the report, Isabel Neto, said.
The report added that “Through innovations and investments, the Nigerian economy can harness digital data and new technologies, generate new content, link individuals with markets and government services, and roll out new, sustainable business models.”
The report provided an assessment of the state of Nigeria’s digital economy around the five pillars of the Digital Economy for Africa initiative (DE4A) namely, digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services, digital entrepreneurship and digital skills—key foundational elements of a digital economy.
The DE4A is part of the World Bank Group’s support for the African Union’s Digital Transformation for Africa, which aims for every African person, business and government to be digitally abled by 2030.
According to the World Bank report, there is the need for Nigeria to improve her digital infrastructure, as it has minimal fixed broadband infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas, which leaves a significant number of the most marginalised segments of the population without Internet access.
It also recommended strengthening the digital platforms, pointing out that despite the fact that strong public and private digital platforms support the provision of digital services and a thriving eCommerce platform, millions of Nigerians lack formal identification records to access a range of public and private services.
The global lender also said there was need for increase access to digital financial services. According to the Bank, about 60 million Nigerian adults are without access to a formal account, stalling the country’s journey toward financial inclusion.
It added that whereas in other African markets financial inclusion would mostly be driven by digital financial service (DFS) providers, in Nigeria the huge potential of DFS remained untapped.
It also made a case for improved policy environment for digital entrepreneurship, noting that despite its large, youthful, and entrepreneurial population, digital entrepreneurship is yet to be fully exploited given its potential to become an engine of economic transformation in Nigeria.
Furthermore, the World Bank report recommended closing Nigeria’s digital skills knowledge gap. It pointed out that the capabilities and skills required to use various forms of digital technologies remain limited to a small segment of the population.
“Increases in higher level education and the existence of accessible online training initiatives is bringing digital skills to those able to access them.
“However, low enrollment in basic education and the poor quality of that education coupled with a lack of digital skills in curricula is segmenting digital skills into a slim share of the population, excluding the poorest from the benefits of the digital world, the report stated.
From a human resource perspective to closing the digital skills gap, the Chief HR Officer at SYSPRO Corporate, Mr. Terence Moolman, said considering the skills shortage, many Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) are realizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to talent management won’t work in today’s volatile, uncertain, complicated and ambiguous world.
He said instead, many global organisations are looking towards a creative and insights-driven approach to plugging the gap. He said instead of favouring a localized approach, many CHROs are accessing the global talent pool.
Moolman listed three key factors to consider when selecting from the global talent pool to include concentration of talent, labour costs and efficiency, and business environment.
“In a world where connectivity allows for a flexible and global workforce, leveraging pockets of excellence across the globe can be a step towards closing the digital skills gap. Businesses, therefore, need to identify where concentrations of talent lie,” he said.
On labor costs and efficiency, the HR expert said there is need to match the right talent with competitive compensation. “Labor costs and competitive compensation also need to be taken into consideration when identifying talent across the globe,” he advised.
Moolman said the ever-changing business environment should also be considered when building a global labor force.
In response to changing business needs, the 2019 Global Skills Index showed that the global appetite for developing technological skills is slowly increasing at the expense of traditional business skills.
According to the report, the demand for business skills such as sales or communications have been diminishing, while the demand for skills in technology and data science have grown exponentially.
In fact, technology enrollments increased 13 per cent since last year, while business enrollments fell by 11 per cent.
“While the industry plays catch up, it is vital for businesses to proactively continue with training initiatives in foundational business skills with current employees,” Moolman advised.
PwC, however, pointed out that the speed of technological change requires an urgent global upskilling effort, which Nigeria must be part of.
“The sheer speed, scope and impact of technological change are challenging businesses — and society at large — in fundamental ways,” Chairman of the PwC Network, Bob Moritz, said.
The consulting firm, however, clarified that “upskilling is not simply a matter of teaching people how to use a new device. That device may be obsolete by next year. The upskilling experience involves learning how to think, act and thrive in a digital world that is sustainable over time.”
PwC also said each nation will need to consider the demographics of its citizens, its level of tech maturity and the makeup of its economy to develop its own upskilling solution.
According to it, a territory with a developed economy, an ageing population and a strong service sector will have different priorities than a region with a developing, mostly rural economy and a population in which most people are under 30.
Yet for all their differences, PwC said all the places in the world have one thing in common — a growing number of working populations who need to raise their capabilities and understanding.
Turkish Airlines has launched a new commercial, which explores humanity’s spirit of exploration by the world – changing Moon Landing in 1969.
“Titled: “Step on earth”, the commercial brings back the sense of wonder and adventure.
The 30-second commercial was viewed in the third quarter of the Super Bowl LIV held this year in Miami, and resulted in the victory of Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 31-20, defeating San Francisco.
With the commercial, Turkish Airlines challenged the statistic that over a billion people globally have never travelled outside of their country.
The Star Alliance member airline gave the opportunity to three people, who had never travelled abroad, to discover the world beyond the borders of their home country for the first time.
The new commercial featured Russ, Mariha and Karlos exploring countries they had never visited and discovering for themselves the adventure of stepping foot in a new country.
The commercial captured the power and emotion of the journeys to novel landscapes and horizons around the globe and encourages us to explore our own planet. The adventure starts with one small step on Earth.
In the commercial itself, the viewer is shown archive footage from a 1969 newspaper heading and preparations leading up to the Apollo 11 countdown and take off.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Russ, Mariha and Karlos prepared for the flight, approaching a Turkish Airlines plane waiting for them on the apron.
Each first time traveller is destined for a different landscape for an unforgettable experience: exploring deep caves and waterfalls amongst lush tropical forest, trekking through deep snow and riding a group of wild horses in the desert.
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. Ilker Ayci, said: “This film celebrates the spirit of discovery and adventure that permeates all of us, from first time travelers to lifelong adventurers.
We look up at the sky for every new adventure as our planet has countless wonders and moments waiting to be discovered.
As Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to more countries than any other, we are delighted to keep you encouraged to ‘Widen Your World’ to discover the rich variety of cultures and landscapes here on Earth.”
An estimated $1.2 billion is incurred as operational cost on global civial aircraft fleet, due mainly to the effect of wildlife hazards. This makes it a global headache for aviation. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) estimates that 80 percent of birdstrike incidents along the runway of aerodromes have had devastating effects on aircraft operations. To mitigate this, the Federal Government recently acquired new anti-bird equipment for flight safety, KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR, reports.
Collisions between aircraft and wildlife have been acknowledged as a hazard to aviation since the first aircraft flew over 100 years ago.
But despite many years of research into the problem, wildlife strikes continue to pose a serious safety concern for regulators, airlines and airports.
Occasional high-profile incidents, such as the crash of Flight 1549 into the Hudson River in 2009, bring the issues to the attention of passengers and the public, but for the most part this is a risk that is not fully appreciated, even within the industry.
Minor incidents, most causing no damage to aircraft, result in precautionary turn backs, engine checks, delays, cancellations and minor repairs that add up to at least $1.2 billion yearly in costs to the world civil aircraft fleet.
With aviation predicted to grow in the future and efforts being put into wildlife conservation, it is likely that the risk posed to aircraft by wildlife will also increase, unless more effective measures are put in place to manage the problem.
Data supports this view, with reported wildlife strikes increasing in frequency yearly. There is a need to do more to prevent wildlife strikes, but opinion is divided about whether new technology is the answer, or just proper application of long established bird management methods.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) for the management of wildlife hazards around aerodromes. States then enact the SARPS via their own rules and regulations.
Some states have detailed require- ments and supporting advice as to how wildlife hazards must be controlled, but others have little or nothing in terms of wildlife management requirements.
Towards this end, the Federal Government has acquired new anti- birds equipment for airports to ensure flight safety.
Statistics from ICAO show that globally, over 3.6 per cent of flight incidences are traced to bird strike and other wildlife hazards.
Director of Operations, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Muktar Muye, who made this known at a symposium on Reduction of wildlife strike hazardat the airports said, the equipment called Phonix bird wailers would be brought in in a few weeks and deployed to the four major airports.
According to him, the equipment deters birds from airport runways and helipads, using high-fidelity natural alarm and distress calls together with local raptor calls.
He emphasised that increased traffic and growing bird population near airports raises the risk of bird-aircraft collision.
According to him, data from ICAO showed that 89 per cent of bird strike occurs near or on the aerodrome.
Captain Muye stated that the elimination of collision hazard fell on the airport operators, adding that FAAN was working with the regulatory agency to develop and implement a wildlife management plan for each airport which includes training of personnel to manage the programme.
He, however, noted that the onus was on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to put in place appropriate legislation to address the safety concerns, including those related to land use around the aerodrome.
“Airline operations are complex and operating cost is high. Time is one of the most valuable commodities and schedules are finely turned to ensure on Tim performance. Striving to achieve this, flight crew are constantly weighing safety and economics,” he said.
The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Hamisu Yadudu, said all hands must be on deck to reducing the incidences of bird strikes and wildlife hazards in the industry.
In his address at a symposium on reduction on wildlife strike hazards at the airports emphasised that ICAO reports indicated that wildlife occurances were responsible for 3.6 per cent incidence globally.
He however noted that this is way higher because many of these incidences were either unnoticed or unreported.
Director-General, Airport Council International (ACI), Captain Yadudu said: “Wildlife strike affect airports small and large, in all regions of the world. It is both a risk to aviation safety and a financial burden.’’
He observed that reduction in wildlife incidence would help to enhance flight safety, if stakeholders, including airlines, airport operators, ground handling firms, regulatory agency, and work in mitigating these menace.
In recognition of the threats to safety due to the wildlife hazards and the roles stakeholders play, Yadudu explained that the ACI convened a symposium at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada in 2017.
He stressed that the event had assisted to foster an awareness of the wildlife threat to aircraft’s operational safety and an international exchange of experiences, best practices, cooperation efforts.
“Technology and ideas to better mitigate wildlife strike hazard on and in the vicinity of airports,’’ he said.
The FAAN boss urged stakeholders to contribute their quota to managing the risks with wildlife strike.
”It is our fervent hope that here at the end of today, everyone that has a role to play, the regulator, airport operators, air traffic service providers, airline operators, pilots, wildlife managers and airport neighbours would have gained valuable information on how our actions, practices and procedures can contribute to managing the risks associated with wildlife strikes,” he said.
Experts have urged business organisations and government agencies to actively encourage safe environment and healthy employees to boost productivity and the gross domestic product (GDP). TOBA AGBOOLA reports
The belief that adherence to environmental standards set by regulatory bodies is key to success is driving local and multinational companies to be more concerned about safety and environmental sustainability.
The work environment, according to several research reports, has implications for employee health and productivity. Thus, the significance of implementing workplace health and safety measures cannot be over-emphasised.
For example, a safe and clean work space contributes to decline in sick leave requests by workers. Also, it can be a critical factor in determining where a consumer shops.
Expert said putting in place a dynamic occupational safety tools boosts productivity of the workforce, as employee safety should be paramount regardless of position or qualification.
Executive Director, National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP), Eric Gislason, said: “You have to show value that the safety of your employees is of utmost importance not only for ethical reasons but for your return on investments.
“You do better as a company when you keep your employees safe, there is proven documentation that shows that a safe workplace will give better productivity, better employee, increased morale, better quality and that is what we need to implement worldwide.”
Speaking on safety in the workplaces, Gislason said while the workplaces have quite an impressive level of occupational safety methods, more can be done to become more advanced, especially in policy reformation, adding that safety reforms are not just a Nigerian problem, but also prevalent in the United States.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the National Assembly to initiate a new Occupational Safety Health Bill to ensure the safety and health of the workforce.
According to NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the law has become imperative to protect workers in case of injury or sickness that might arise in the course of their employment.
He said previous attempts to pass a similar bill into law had failed.
He stressed that all over the world, construction companies had the highest accident rates in the workplaces and those workers suffer greatly in the sector.
He said: “Nigeria is even worst and I know that a lot of complaints come to the NLC through the National Union of Engineering, Construction and Woodworkers’ Union and we have always taken up their complaints.
“We also receive serious complaints from the chemical union and most of the time we settle out of court by ensuring that the company involved pays compensation to the workers concerned or to their families in case of death.
“Sometimes when we go to court, it takes a number of years and the worker may even die before the compensation gets to him.
“That is why we prefer to settle out of court and get compensation for the worker.
“So, I think that the first thing to be done in Nigeria is to have a standard law to regulate occupational safety health in the country.”
He said Nigeria was still operating on the revised edition of the 1960 law on the issue, adding that it was important for the country to follow the best practices in line with the provisions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) constitution as it affects occupational safety and health.
Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Register Limited, Kwode Festus, said: “We have an objective to ensure that every Nigerian understands his right in terms of safety in the workplace.
What we are looking at is occupational health and safety, which is very important, the country does not have the necessary regulations to support safety in the workplace.”
Proffering solutions to improving occupational safety in the country at the end of a five-day safety-training programme in Lagos, he stressed the need to establish a national framework and regulatory policy for workplaces, which should be strictly adhered to.
He said: “We need to have the peer review with other countries on safety and also attend conferences because without the knowledge, we cannot do anything.”
Speaking on the training, Kwode, who has been certified by the NASP abroad, said he decided to replicate the knowledge and certificate locally for other professionals and companies to benefit from in partnership with the international organisation.
He said presently Swiss Registers is the only West African partner of the NASP.
He said besides becoming certified safety managers, the participants after the training can also facilitate training for other people at a lower cost, which he said, presently costs $2,900.
Kwode said the aim is to incorporate the training into academic institutions, and reduce the fee to a more affordable amount for individuals.
This, he said, can be achieved by working with necessary regulatory bodies and organisations.
He added that the training is not just for factory workers, but also for those in corporate environment. He added that the training, which is a total of five days, had 20 participants from various companies and industries working with 32 modules after which they will be examined on.
andrew-sharman-iosh-president
President, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Andrew Sharman, said to sustain growth, productivity and profitability, investors and business owners worldwide needed to look after people at work and their work environment.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the West African Health Conference themed ‘Shaping the Future of Occupational Safety and Health in West Africa’, hosted by the IOSH, Sharman said:“Healthy environment will drive growth and build investors’ confidence, and will also boost productivity. IOSH supports the development of strong workplace safety culture promoted by businesses and government agencies.”
Sharman said as part of its advocacy for improved workplace safety and employee health, the IOSH, a chartered body for health and safety professionals, was launching a campaign that had: ‘No Time to Lose’ as theme, in Nigeria. It is targeted at tackling cancer diseases caused by work-related activities.
A statement on the campaign said exposure at work to carcinogenic substances was one of the biggest causes of avoidable cancer in adults.
“Over 46,000 people die each year in Africa as a result of their occupational exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos and diesel engine exhaust emissions,” the statement read.
Director, Occupational Health, Ministry of Health, Lagos State Layemi-Adeyemo Kuburat, in her address, commended the IOSH for promotion and maintenance of a healthy working population through the advocacy of a safe workplace environment and safety standards.
She said a lot of people shied away from reporting work-related accidents or illnesses, leading to the under-reporting of such occurrences and causing dilemma in keeping records and proffering solutions.
She said statistics revealed that 160 million people had work-related disease leading to reduced productivity in organisations, many of which could be prevented.
“Furthermore, the average cost of populated injuries and Nigerians with ill-health is 4.3 per cent, which is definitely underreported,” she said.
She called for appropriate reporting and investigation of workplace incidents while urging companies and agencies to have a comprehensive work plan and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Chief Executive Officer, IOSH, Bev Messinger, said in her address that good health would improve productivity and increase organisational success.
Messinger said achieving a safe workplace in all organisations was possible, adding that accidents, hazards, and ill health were preventable in organisations.
“Good health of employees and a safe environment is an investment for any organisation and not a cost as its returns are always visible in its revenue,” she said.
She further said the activities of the IOSH was in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called for improved collaboration among personnel, agencies, organisations and the government to ensure the availability of a safe workplace where healthy employees would effectively and efficiently carry out their duties.
Head of strategic engagement, IOSH, Alan Stevens said it was necessary for all stakeholders to collaborate and foster a safe environment where healthy employees would be fully productive in their various activities
“For a productive business that will lead to a growing economy, everyone must be healthy and the environment as well must be safe,” Stevens said.
