The Nation Newspaper

Category: Jobs

  • New vistas for cocoa sub-sector

    New vistas for cocoa sub-sector

    The Federal Government is inching closer to achieving its goal of creating at least 390,000 jobs in the cocoa sub-sector. The development, which is music to the ears of operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in cocoa processing and farmers, is coming on the heels of the government’s latest repositioning of agriculture to claim a greater share of the annual $200b global market for finished goods made from cocoa, reports Assistant Editor Chikodi Okereocha.

    • To create about 390,000 jobs

    Better days are here for existing and prospective farmers, particularly cocoa farmers. Last Monday, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, raised the adrenalin of cocoa farmers with the announcement that it would implement expansion projects in cocoa processing and manufacturing. This, according to the Minister, is in the hope of claiming a greater share of the global market for finished goods made from cocoa estimated at $200 billion annually.

    Aganga, who spoke at the Nigerian Cocoa Value Addition Summit 2014,in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the government was repositioning to extract immense value from the cocoa industry. He pointed out that with the expansion of cocoa processing and manufacturing capacity, the government hopes to create jobs and wealth for citizens and generate income.

    Such hopes are not without basis. According to Aganga, the global value of exporting raw cocoa  is approximately $10 billion a year; the total value from chocolates alone, all made from cocoa, is over $100 billion a year, while the total value of all finished goods made from cocoa is estimated to be as high as $200 billion a year. All of them from the same $10 billion raw cocoa beans produced.

    But it was not so much the monetary value, which the government hopes to derive from cocoa, that excited participants at the summit. Rather, it was the promise of job opportunities, which the latest repositioning holds for existing and prospective operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in cocoa processing and farmers.  It is also the beginning of a new dawn for independent farmers, who work on contract. The independent farmers are those engaged by beverage companies to grow cocoa for them for a fee.

    For instance, as the Executive Vice Chairman, Multi Trex Integrated Foods Plc, Mr. Dimeji Owofemi, said the cocoa industry is the panacea to employment generation in the country. He said there is a multiplier effect when the produce is taken from farmland to factories, rather than from farmland to the port in the raw form. He was referring to the immense opportunities in cocoa processing.

    “Traders do not create jobs, it is the farmers and factories that create jobs. The traders are going to do their business alone, but  in the factory, you have at least 50 people for the smallest  size. At a point we have about 116. Now if you have 10 factories, each with 300 people, it means you have employed 3,000 people. Those are the people that are directly  involved. Aside this, you still have those that are not involved in production such as casual workers and people who trade semi finish product that we do,” Owofemi said.

    Under the new push to get the best from the cocoa value chain, Mr. Owofemi said  cocoa farmers and operators of processing factories are the people to pay attention to.  “If you take care of those two, all will be well. But if we neglect  those two, we are shooting ourselves in the foot as a country,” he said.

    Owofemi is right. Several cocoa processing factories expected to  spring up from the new focus on  cocoa sub-sector would provide employment opportunities to professionals such as accountofficers who hold National Certificate in Education (NCE), Polytechnic diplomas or University degrees in Economics or Accountancy. Nigerians with diplomas and degrees in electrical or electronic engineering, with emphasis on courses that include control and modules for instrumentation will also be employed as technicians.

    Such technicians will assemble, install, repair, and test industrial chillers, refrigerators, heaters, ventilators and air conditioners. They will also diagnose malfunctioned systems, apparatus, components and locate the cause of breakdown and repair them. This is aside from keeping temperatures in the processing, packaging of finished goods and their storage within specifications.

    That is not all. Diploma or degree holders in electrical or electronic engineering will have cause to smile, working as system managers. The lucky Nigerian system managers will plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in the organisation. They will also determine the information technology goals of such organisations and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.

    Other mouth-watering employment opportunities include instrumentation and control technicians, control and instrumentation superintendents, drivers, caterers, etc.

    The government seems to be aware of the exciting career opportunities in the sub-sector, which is why the latest repositioning effort appears to be more encompassing.

    Aganga said: “With the situation today, about 76 per cent of total cocoa produced is from Africa, but less than five per cent of the wealth in the value chain is retained here. After many decades of dominating cocoa production, it is worrying that we still remain price takers, and capture so little value. This is not right, and this is what we have set out to change”.

    Part of that change was the disclosure by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, that his mMinistry was working with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on a memo on value chain that would unlock the cocoa sector.

    Adesina said the memo would be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Also, the government, he said, had provided 1.4 million pods of high breed cocoa to farmers, free of charge within two years, a gesture that had increased cocoa output from 250,000 metric tonnes (mt) to 370,000 mt.

    Stating that the production of cocoa would be increased to 600,000 metric mt by 2016, the Minister disclosed that it generated $1.2 billion revenue in 2013 as against $900 million it generated in 2012. He said this year, cocoa is expected to rake in about $1.3 billion.

    To boost the production of cocoa, Adesina  said the ministry was planning to set aside about N100 billion as Cocoa Development Fund aimed at making Nigeria a global powerhouse in cocoa production. He explained that the fund would be raised through public-private partnership to transform the sector.

    Besides, the Nigerian Cocoa Research Institute (NCRI) had released eight new cocoa hybrids with the Federal Government doling out 1.4 million cocoa pods to farmers in cocoa producing states of the country. The interventions, which are aimed at restoring Nigeria to its glorious position of the largest cocoa producer in the world, are seen as major boosts to those wishing to venture into cocoa farming and processing.

    The present administration’s Cocoa Transformation Agenda (Coc.TA) had earlier set the target to raise national cocoa production output to at least, 500,000 MT by 2015 and achieve 1.0 million mt in 2018 through sustainable production systems by maintenance of existing farms, rehabilitation of old plantations and expansion programmes through intensification and good agricultural practices.

    It also hopes to improve the livelihood of, at least, 100,000 farmers by increasing the yield per hectare and income by $450 every year in 250,000 farm households in cocoa producing states over the next four years.

    Besides, the Coc.TA hopes to create at least 390,000 jobs from the sub-sector by doubling production, increasing processing capacity of factories, establishing and strengthening of SMEs to produce fast moving consumer cocoa products from cocoa and its by-products. It also targets to improve cocoa marketing in the states presently producing and/or with the potential to produce cocoa.

  • Are you not supposed to be employed by now?

    Are you still wondering why you have not yet secured your dream job? Or even worse, why you are not even being called in for a job interview by the recruitment agency let alone the employer?

    Well, have you taken a step back and looked at the package that you are offering zand how you are presenting it? Maybe your offering is just not packaged together correctly which is why you are continuously being overlooked, even though you just know you are the right person for that job.

    With the unofficial unemployment rate in Nigeria standing at over 30 per cent, there are millions of un-employed Job Seekers scouting the marketplace for their ideal job, and even more employed professionals applying for the same jobs, it is imperative that you take every effort of going above and beyond to ensure that you stand out from the crowds.

     

    Let’s start by considering the basics, your resume

    Clean up your resume and ensure that your it  is professionally put-together with no typographical, spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure that the layout and format conforms to that of a professional resume. Your strengths and key skills – as they relate specifically to the job that you are applying to – should be clearly highlighted and visible at a glance at the off-set. Be sure not to make silly mistakes that can get you eliminated even before the short-list stage. Go through your resume to ensure that you have covered all essential aspects that make up a professional resume.

     

    Next, develop a professionally-written application

     

    When applying for a job opening, please extend the recruiter the courtesy of ensuring that your skills do, in fact, meet the minimum requirements that he has set-out in the job advertisements. Do not apply to job advertisements that you are not suitably qualified for as this wastes both your time and that of the recruiter.

    If you do believe that you closely match the requirements and skills contained in the job advertisement, then be sure to create a professional, top self-selling customised application, sometimes referred to as cover-note (not a standard one-size-fits-all) that is addressed to the hiring manager (not personnel/human resource dept), if possible, and that refers to the job title and where you saw the job advertised and on which date.

    Then immediately get to the point and explain briefly why your skills best match the job and why you should be considered. End off by thanking the recruiter for their time. Be sure to include any relevant documentation or information that the recruiter might have asked for in the job advertisement. (see more on this at www.jobsearchhow.com)

     

    Finally, present yourself in the most professional manner

    Should you be fortunate enough to secure an interview either with a recruitment agency or the employer directly, be sure that the product (you) matches the brochure (your resume) in the most professional manner. Be mindful of your interview manners but most importantly, dress appropriately for the job interview. Remember to prepare to dazzle in the job interview by researching the company, understanding the job requirements and knowing your strengths and how to communicate these effectively and in context to the job that you are being interviewed for.

    Consider carefully the type of interview body language that you are giving off and be careful to avoid – as far as possible – making any of the common job interview mistakes. Come prepared with a set of interview questions yourself. Job seekers who attend a job interview with a well prepared set of interviewee questions are always most successful.

    Remember, every job interview is an employment opportunity. Should you be called back for a second interview, take just as much time preparing for the second job interview as you would on the initial meeting. When getting a call back for a second job interview ask the interviewer if there is anything that you specifically need to prepare for.

    Without being over confident, attend your second job interview with the same intention as you did the first. Carry yourself with poise and professionalism.

     

    One more thing, remember that the best way to prepare is by anticipating securing your dream job. Good luck. Now go and secure that dream job now!

  • Current tariff regime, vandalism disincentives to investment

    Current tariff regime, vandalism disincentives to investment

    Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is one of the distribution firms licensed last year following the unbundling of the power sector by the Federal Government.  Its areas of coverage spans Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, as well as parts of Kwara and Niger states. Its Managing Director, Fortunatus Leynes,  says ending vandalism and an upward review of cureent electricity tariff would go a long at improving power supply. He spoke in Lagos with senior journalists, Group Busines Editor, Simeon Ebulu  was there.

    From your experience in the past, will you say the the decision of the government to deregulate the power sector was right?

    Yes, because there has been an improvement in electricity supply in the country in the last one year. The government decided to deregulate the sector because of its desire to have reliable power supply in the country.

    With what has happened in the last one year, the country is gradually getting close to achieving that as electricity supply is becoming better. This is something that the country had found difficult to achieve for many years. This has been achieved because of the privatisation of the companies involved in power generation and distribution.

    Your view that electricity supply has improved may be personal to you. Some will have a contrary opinion. Do you agree?

    The facts on ground speak for themselves. I may not be able to speak for other franchise areas, but in our own franchise area, electricity supply has improved greatly. As I speak with you, the minimum number of hours of supply in most parts of our franchise area is 15. I am not saying that is enough; of course we are working to improve on that but that is the fact. Electricity supply has improved. If there are areas that are getting less than 10 hours of supply, it must be due to a local problem which will be addressed.

    What are the challenges you have to confront before coming this far?

    The major challenge we have had is insufficient power supply from the national grid. This means that we do not have enough power to distribute to our customers. Unfortunately, many of the customers do not seem to understand the way it goes; they do not realise that we cannot distribute more than we receive from the grid.

    We are the ones they blame whenever there is inadequate supply of electricity. But it is pertinent to note that as a distribution company, we are at the tail-end of the electricity supply chain. It is what is delivered to us that we distribute to our customers. However, we understand the way they feel and we are doing our best to address their concern.

    Another challenge we face is tariff. I want to tell you that the tariff we take from the customers is too low. The tariff is not enough for us to finance the purchase of transformers, lines, poles, wires and other electrical equipment needed for our operations.

    We also have the challenge of vandalism. Very often, members of the public vandalise our equipment and facilities. This has not been helpful to us at all. It has resulted in huge financial losses to our company. The implication of this is that the resources that should have been deployed to increasing capacity would be used to effect repairs. So, downtime will continue to be high for as long as our equipment and installations are vandalised.

    We have appealed to all our customers to see our facilities as their property and protect them because it is only when the facilities are allowed to function very well that we can assure them of regular power supply.

    We have also called on communities to ensure the security of the facilities for the good of all. The importance of regular supply of electricity cannot be overemphasised, but one way of guaranteeing this is for the people to desist from vandalising our facilities because it is these facilities that will ensure that electricity gets to houses and offices.

    What options do you have about increasing the power supplied to you from the national grid?

    You know we are not the only one in the business; so there is a limit to what we can receive from the national grid. Until power generation improve, there’s very little we can do because whatever is generated has to be shared among the distribution companies.

    However, we are planning to augment our supply through embedded power generation. This is our way of increasing power supply to our network and it will enable us to increase power supply to our customers. We have already communicated our intention to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and we are awaiting their response. We shall start work on it as soon as we get the go ahead from NERC.

    How will the embedded power generation work?

    We shall have a number of this in different parts of our franchise areas and add to our network. We shall not add the power so generated to the national grid, it will go straight into our own network. We are taking this step because we owe it a duty to our customers to supply them regular electricity. What they expect from us, is service, not excuses. As far as they are concerned, whenever there is power outage, it is our fault; they do not want to know whether we receive enough power supply from the grid or not, that is not their business. It is our belief that by taking this route to increase power supply, we shall be adding value to them and improving the overall electricity supply in the country.

    Are you going to add power generation to your original mandate of power distribution?     

    No, we are not the ones that will be generating the power. We plan to engage different companies in the embedded power generation scheme, but they know that whatever they are able to generate we shall buy from them. That is part of the beauty of the deregulation of the sector.

    So, to answer your question, we shall remain a power distributing company;  we have no intention of adding power generation to what we are doing. We are motivated to do this because of our determination to give first class services to our customers.

    Is achieving uninterrupted electricity supply in this country such a tall dream?

    Honestly, the way to get that is what the government has embarked upon and that is deregulating the sector so that private people with requisite experience and technical know-how can come into the sector. At the risk of sounding immodest, I want to say that in the last one year, our company has been able to improve power supply in our franchise areas.

    One thing Nigerians should realise is that investment and appropriate technology follow liberalisation and deregulation of critical sectors. With the deregulation of the sector, investments will come from far and near and so will latest technology. These are two critical factors for having uninterrupted power supply.

    For instance, apart from the initial investment that our company made in this business, we are currently discussing with a consortium of banks to raise $160million which we want to inject into the business. This money will be used to improve facilities in our network.

    Why are we able to do this? It is because we are a private business. If it were a government business, the bureaucracy involved will make it difficult. By the time the money is released, the technology for which it is meant would have become out-dated.

    Private businesses are result-oriented, they want to get the result that will make their businesses sustainable. This can only be assured when they deliver quality services to their customers and the only way to deliver quality services is by continuous investment in the business. That has been the secret of the improvement in electricity supply in the last one year.

    I know that Nigerians are justifiably impatient about having regular electricity supply, but they should just give us some time. Now, I speak for our company because I don’t know what others are doing. We are trying to attract the right people and inculcate in them the right attitude. We are also investing in the right technology to drive the network. With all that we are doing, in the next two to three years, our company will make the difference. I can assure you.

    How close are you to achieving your set objectives?

    I will be honest with you, it has not been easy because when our business plan was developed, it was based on some parameters- such as customer count and amount of power available. But when we got into the business, the reality on ground was different from what we were told. This has largely affected our operations. We have had to review our targets in line with the reality on ground.

    So, to be factual, we have not achieved all that we thought we would achieve in one year. But altogether, it has been a good year and we are looking forward to a better outing next year.

    What are your views on the regulation of the power sector in Nigeria?

    I will say the power sector in the country is a highly regulated one and at this stage of the sector, I think it is necessary. The regulator of the sector, the NERC, is very strict about compliance. Non-compliance with laid down rules attracts serious sanctions. This has been helpful to both the operators and our customers as it keeps us on our toes, knowing that an agency is watching. What we all want is regular supply of electricity for the improvement of our lives and businesses.We, as an organisation, play by the rules. So, we do not have any problem with the regulators.

     How were you able to manage the transformation from a publicly owned agency to a private one?

    One of the good things that the government did with the privatisation is the decision to pay the terminal benefit of all staff of the legacy company. That means we could start on a fresh note. It gave us the freedom to pick the best hands in the legacy company and blend with the best hands from outside and the combination has been wonderful. As our customers will attest, power supply has improved greatly. Some areas enjoy 22 hours of electricity supply, some 18, some 15. These are by no means the best, but considering where the power sector was, it is a huge improvement.

    Talking about how we were able to achieve this, efficient management of resources, regular training of our workforce, deployment of world class technology and prompt responses to complaints, were key, and still are.

    I give you an example. The substation at Akanran/Olorunsogo in Ibadan was destroyed by some irate youths in January, 2012. Nothing was done about that for about three years. The people were left in darkness for almost three years. Of course this had a negative effect on businesses in that area and it also meant a loss of revenue for the company.

    As a private business that is not dependent on subvention from government, we knew we had to do something about it, especially because our mission is distributing power, transforming lives.

    We spent about N150 million to renovate the substation. The people are happy with us for putting an end to their pains; we are happy with ourselves for transforming the lives of our customers.

    You said the tariff you charge is too low. What in your view would be the ideal tariff?

    I cannot give you a figure because it is NERC that announces the tariffs and it depends on some parameters to arrive at these. We just think that considering what goes into the business, the tariff should be a bit higher. But then the final say lies with NERC, there is no point second-guessing the Commission.

    So what should be your customers’ expectation as you start your second year?

    Our customers should expect improved services as we put in more money to buy transformers and rehabilitate our electrical facilities. We have the plan to replace all obsolete equipment we inherited from PHCN, but they should know that this will definitely take some time.

    As part of our first anniversary activities,  we are upgrading transformers to various  communities across the franchise area. Thi s is targeted at improving power supply to  them.

  • ‘Training of technical workers key to power sector’s growth’

    ‘Training of technical workers key to power sector’s growth’

    The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has been the focal point for capacity training in the power sector since 2009 when it was established. Its Director-General, Rueben Okeke, an engineer, in this interview with Akinola Ajibade, says the Institute lays emphasis on the training of technical workers. According to him, such category of workers is key to the growth of the power sector, as it plays crucial roles in electricity distribution, generation and transmission. He also speaks on efforts to achieve the 20, 000 megawatts target by 2020 and the challenge of gas supply, among others.

    Why did the Federal Government establish the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN)?

    Government established NAPTIN to serve as a focal point for capacity building in the power sector. It is to provide a credible, virile, and competent workforce for the industry. Being a state-owned agency, NAPTIN was set up to train people who would man the huge infrastructural networks the government is providing to improve electricity supply in Nigeria. NAPTIN’s major goal is to train workers who would operate existing and future infrastructural  networks in the sector.

    Which categories of workers are being trained by NAPTIN?

    The body trains technical and non-technical workers because they are key to the sector’s growth. Of note is that the organisation is laying emphasis on the training of technical workers because it is the hallmark of the sector. The reason is because they play crucial roles in the electricity distribution, generation and transmission. The sector is technically driven globally; a development that informed the decision of NAPTIN to provide training for such workers.

    How many workers have been trained by NAPTIN since its establishment in 2009?

    The Institute has trained 5,446 technical and non-technical workers between 2009 and 2013.  Out of this, 4,800 are technical staff, while over 400 are non-technical. Those trained include engineers, technicians, craftsmen, artisans and others. Since 2012, NAPTIN has been targeting engineers to improve productivity in the sector. It has been training people with Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) in mechanical and electrical/electronics engineering to move the industry forward. It has graduated 243 engineers since 2012. Presently, there are 779 people receiving training under the Graduate Development Scheme; an idea introduced to develop graduates’ skills and further bring out the best in them.

    How far has the scheme impacted electricity distribution?

    The scheme has impacted positively on the sector. From operation to repair to maintenance of distribution networks, the list is limitless. Through the scheme, we have trained engineers that ensure seamless operation of the distribution networks. The scheme provides engineers with skills that enable them operate the networks optimally. The scheme, among others, has become indispensable tool for people that want to work in the industry. Without the training of engineers and other workers, the distribution networks would not function well. Some people have to operate and manage the networks before there can be light in the country.

    We need to answer this question to get a clearer understanding of the operation of the industry.  Can we get light if we do not switch on the light? The answer is No. Some people must be trained on how to handle switches and maintain the breakers when they are faulty. People need to be trained on how to erect new or collapsed poles. These are some of the areas where NAPTIN has trained people and the results are evident. Because if the Institute fails to train engineers and other workers, it would be difficult to provide people with the electricity they need for socio-economic development.

    There is skill-gap in the industry following the sack of over 60 per cent of workers of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). How can this be addressed?

    The government has introduced measures to reduce skill-gap and further improve productivity in the industry. The measures include the sponsorship of 7,400 youths for training in NAPTIN, the employment of engineers and other professionals, who have retired from the sector on contract basis among others. For instance, youths are being trained to replace the ageing workers in the sector. The power firms inherited ageing workers. These workers could no longer carry out the business of their employers. They could not meet up with the standards in the industry. When the youths complete their training and get jobs, they will replace the ageing workers. Interestingly, the power firms have employed many of the people trained by the Institute. Besides, the firms are sending their workers for training in NAPTIN as part of efforts to reduce the skill-gap. Also, government has employed retired engineers and others on contract to transfer skills to the younger and inexperienced workers. Government decided to bring them back to enable workers benefit from their wealth of experience. NAPTIN has  organised a workshop to intimate them on how and where they can help sharpen the skills of workers. These efforts are going to help the sector to get replacement for workers with lower skills.

    When is the contract with retired engineers going to lapse?

    The government has introduced the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme (NASPS) to train cable joiners, fitters, lines men, distribution sub-station operators and others. The scheme is going to run for between six months and one year, while the retired  engineers are expected to render their services within this period. However, we are going to identify and pick some engineers who would work in the Adjunct Faculty after the expiration of their contract. When this happens, we would be inviting them to pass on their knowledge to workers whenever the need arises.

    Has the power distribution companies (DISCOs) been patronising NAPTIN?

    The DISCOs have been sending their workers for training at the Institute. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), Eko Electricity Distribution Company  (EKEDC) and others,  have enrolled their workers for training. Besides, the firms have employed people trained by NAPTIN because they believe they would perform well.

    Some stakeholders have called for a robust renewable energy policy in Nigeria. What is your take on this?

    There is nothing wrong in having a robust renewable energy programme in the country.  In fact, government has taken a step in that direction by introducing what it tagged: “Light Up Nigeria’’ scheme. However, renewable energy cannot take us anywhere. Solar, bio-mass, coal, and other forms of renewable energy cannot provide the electricity megawatts (Mw) that would accelerate the growth of the economy. They can only be used in rural areas where the population is small. Given the country’s 170 million population, we need electricity megawatts that would take care of our huge density areas, factories and other economic indices. This cannot be provided by renewable energy. It is only the conventional energy such as hydro and turbines that can make industries work optimally, create jobs and grow the economy.  Once an efficient conventional energy system is in place, growth is assured in the country.

    You said renewable energy is meant for rural areas because it produces lower megawatts of electricity. Are there other reasons?

    Yes, there are many. One of them is huge cost of connecting the rural areas to the grid. It requires a lot of money to connect rural areas to the grid. It would be better if government provides the rural areas with off-grid method of generating electricity than spending billions of naira to run transmission lines and put sub-stations in the hinterland.

    The rural electrification project is battling with problems of corruption and lack of commitment from contractors. How can this problem be solved?

    There is no problem that is insurmountable. The problems confronting the  rural electrification programme can be solved. However, Rural Electrification Agency (ERA), an agency that is supervising the project, is in the best position to proffer solution to those problems.

    Can Nigeria meet its 20, 000 megawatts of electricity target by 2020?

    The country has the capacity to meet the 20,000 target in the next six years. Considering what Nigeria has on ground, the feat is attainable. The National Independent Power Plants (NIPPs) are expected to deliver 5,000 megawatts of electricity, aside the fact that we are expecting thousands of electricity megawatts from various Integrated Power Projects (IPPs) across the country.

    Also, General Electric (GE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce 10,000 megawatts of electricity. Besides, thousands of megawatts are expected from companies that bought the assets of the defunct PHCN.

    How soon can government solve the problem of gas supply to improve electricity generation?

    Solution to gas problem is imminent in Nigeria. The problem is going to be resolved soon, in view of efforts put in place by the government. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have met to find lasting solution to the problem. They have discussed how to provide gas to the sector. They know that the country generates 80 per cent of its electricity through gas powered plants, and the implications of not having enough gas in the sector. There is no doubt Nigeria has enough gas. But there is need to gather the gas before it can be made available to the power firms. That is where infrastructure comes in. Installation of pipelines and other infrastructural facilities is going on to serve the 10 NIPPs, and PHCN successor companies among other projects. Once this has been put in place, the power companies will be able to access gas for productivity. I’m very optimistic that the sector would get enough gas and this would help the country to meet its target of 20,000 megawatts of electricity in the next six years.

    How can the problem of scarcity of metres be solved?

    The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are behind the manufacturing of metres- be it pre-paid or post paid; analog or digital. I believe that efforts are on-going to solve the problem. The area that concerns NAPTIN is how to train people who would install the metres, manage them and provide credible bills to customers. We have a training programme for people who install metres, detect metres that have been tampered with among other responsibilities. Such people acquire what we call non-technical staff.

     

  • Capital market, not banks, holds ace for SMEs’ financing

    Capital market, not banks, holds ace for SMEs’ financing

    The small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) sub-sector is vital to the economy for so many reasons. One is its potential to create jobs for the growing army of the unemployed. But access to loanable funds has been one of its greatest challenges. Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Aruma Oteh, says the capital market could mobilise ‘patient capital’for the SMEs. She says the cash needed to bridge the huge infrastructure gap in the country could also be sourced from the capital market. Oteh, who was re-elected chair, Africa and Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC), International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), for another two years, spoke on the significance of her re-election and efforts of the group to restore investors’ confidence. Oteh spoke with some reporters including, Assistant Editor Nduka Chiejina, in Abuja.

    How can the SMEs sub-sector tap from the capital market?

    I think first and foremost is the recognition globally about the importance of SMEs because they are the ones who create jobs. I think there is a greater focus on how SMEs can be supported. In our own country,  President Goodluck  Jonathan recently set up an SME Council. He set up a Job Board, all of which are focused on how we can practically address the challenges we are facing with SMEs.

    I believe our capital market is an absolutely important solution for a number of reasons. The first one is  that we need economies of scale. We need to provide funding at reasonable cost; the capital that is patient so that people could grow their businesses. Banking finance is not patient. It is short term, sometimes particularly in AME where the interest rates are relatively high. What we need is capital that would be there for a long time. A market-based finance that is short term (would certainly not help SMEs) and there is a global recognition of that. This is why some of the things we are focusing at the meeting in Brazil is really the value that capital markets bring to SMEs. If they can enable SMEs, have them to list, which is why a lot of the discussions are around how to better support SMEs to list in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the alternative securities market modelled after what you have in the UK, the one in Johannesburg where you have got one enterprise that have advisers who basically nurture them and guide them through the process of listing on the exchange and staying on the exchange.

    You have models such as what you have in Egypt where you have a dedicated exchange, the Nile Exchange to SMEs. But some of the more interesting things we are seeing is Crowd Funding; being able to raise money via internet by people who basically are interested in that particular initiative. We are seeing in a number of Asian countries the securitisation of loans  that are given by SMEs. There is a lot of best practice around the world, but there is also lessons from experiences that have not gone well which are useful.

    I think what is great is that today, everyone is relying on IOSCO. The G-20 has asked IOSCO to provide its research notes so that they could essentially scale up the lessons of good practice.

    How viable is the capital market for infrastructure funding?

    It is interesting that you bring up infrastructure. SME financing and infrastructure are two areas that IOSCO feels that market based financing can help tackle. With infrastructure, it is clearly an area that is important to the development of any nation. Some of the statistics show that Africa’s GDP (gross domestic product) shrinks by two per cent because of the weakness of infrastructure. We know that our needs in terms of infrastructure in Nigeria is over $3.9trillion over the next 30 years. The Africa Development Bank (AfDB) said in the next 10 years we would need about $350billion. Therefore, the issue is with the challenges government are facing and with banking finance being short term coupled with some of the more difficult regulatory requirements that banks are facing, the alternative is basically to structure different kinds of vehicles that allow you to go to the capital market and raise money.

    So you can either have project finance where the specific structure that is set up, where the flows that are received from that particular infrastructure project are used to meet the obligations from that particular structure. So you can have securitisation; you can have project finance; you can have a variety of options which are available in the capital market.

    Just as SMEs finance needs patient capital, it also needs you to match the requirement of certain investors with the different structures that infrastructure can provide. It can be structured such that you can have predictable cash flow which is what some investors require. It can be structured such that you can match long term liabilities with long term assets. So, it also gives you an opportunity that other kinds of vehicles may not give you. It is great that we are focusing on infrastructure as well.

    What are you doing about  financial literacy?

    Financial literacy is an area that IOSCO has  focused on so much. In Nigeria, we  have also  focused this important issue. But I think it is better to step back and talk about why IOSCO exists. IOSCO is the global standard setter for capital markets around the world. Therefore, when you are a member of IOSCO, when you meet the requirements of becoming a member, an investor has confidence that they can invest in your market because they believe you are abiding by global best practices. So confidence building is very important in the capital market. The second thing that builds confidence is the knowledge you have; that you are familiar with what is being offered to you. The moral lesson from the global financial crisis is that people, particularly retail investors must be armed with knowledge so that they are not investing in things they are not familiar with. The agenda of financial literacy at the individual country level or IOSCO level is very important.

    With respect to Nigeria, we have a capital market literacy plan which we will launch in November at our capital markets stakeholders retreat because essentially, we think that is key. If we build financially literate citizens, we will transform Nigeria because people would be able to save wisely, spend wisely and invest wisely. My own guidance always to Nigerians and prospective investors is that if you don’t understand it, don’t invest in it.

    Nigeria is having a third shot as chair of AMERC, what does  this mean?

    First and foremost, I think the starting point should be International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO), which has 200 members that cover 95 per cent of the capital markets around the world. So, to have qualified as Nigerian is very important. The way that we work at IOSCO is to organise ourselves through technical committees and also by regions. There is an American region, there is an Asia Pacific region; there is Europe region and there is an Africa Middle East (AME) region which, potentially, has 70 capital markets.But there are 24 of us today, regulators who have met the requirements to become members of IOSCO. First, being members of IOSCO  means we have met the requirements to abide by global best practices. So, when domestic or international investors look at our markets, they can feel comfortable and confident that these are markets that operate on global best practices, that are world class.

    I think, therefore to lead the AME, shows that there is confidence in us as Nigerians that first, we will be a good example. Secondly, that we will be able to make sure that the issues that affect the Africa Middle East Council are brought to the table. As the chair of AME region, we are also on the board of IOSCO, which basically decides what happens for all the capital markets around the world. So, the confidence that members have in us to be able to represent them adequately, be at the table when issues are being raised is also very important.

    And I think it is also an evidence of the hardwork that we have done as chair and secretariat for AMERC, I mean people have seen what we have done over the years and have decided that they would like us to continue. So I think it is based on the good work that we have done and also based on the fact that we are a good role model in terms of what we are doing in our own markets. Also, that we can basically represent them on the board of IOSCO.

    How were you able to bring Africa and the Middle East together?

    Actually, my perspective is different and I think it also comes from having led the AMERC of IOSCO. I think there is a lot that we share. There are lots of common narratives. I think the level of poverty, the youthful population, the traditional cultures are worth looking at.

    We have very traditional societies that have cultures that have come from several thousands of years; we fortunately are countries that have a high number of people who are very poor, whether in  Africa or the Middle East. We have a youth population which is a positive one if managed properly and a time bomb if not managed properly. We are basically the future of the world. If you look at some of the fastest growing economies in the world, they are actually in these regions. The opportunities for the world basically exists in AME.

    What that means is that you can leverage the capital markets, which I believe is an opportunity for any country to ride on to  realise its potentials. Some of the things that the capital market can do is provide funding for large companies or small companies or for governments for infrastructural development.

    The countries in AME have huge needs for infrastructure, setting up Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), to be able to create jobs.

    Jobs is an issue not only for AME but also for all countries of the world.

    Being able to support SMEs is also important and the capital market can do that. The capital market can also ensure that as these countries  are building systems, they are building systems that are based on best corporate governance practices because funds are directed at entities that merit it, the entities that deserve it, the higher performance entities. So having the capital markets fuel corporate governance is also something that is promoting and fostering capital markets.

    The third thing which is very important is the issue of creating wealth. I think for many of these countries, ensuring that the living standards of the people is rising. This is important and capital markets create wealth either through enabling young people or older people who have ideas to be able to promote these ideas, raise money for those ideas but also to have people participate in the success of those companies.

    So, those are wealth and income distribution  characteristics of capital markets. I think those things are important particularly for any country in the world, but more so for these newer economies that, in my opinion, are the future of the world.

    What are the focus this year’s conference?

    First, the theme for the conference is ‘Market Based Financing, Global Growth Looking Ahead.’ I think there is a general realisation all over the world that banking finance is not going to help us address some of the challenges  we face. One is the stronger and stricter regulation of banks particularly with the entrance of the requirement where they are supposed to put up capital for loans; that they make and and that. This is something that has come out on the heels of the global financial crisis as well. I think it is a challenge because governments no longer have the resources that they had to support the development of their economies and so there is a greater emphasis on alternatives. If you look at what the Financial Stability Board is looking at, what the Bank for International Settlement at, if you look at what G-20 is looking at, everyone is looking at what alternatives that available.

    And the alternative is market based finance because there is a lot more that can happen in that fore. Therefore,  it is pertinent that IOSCO is focusing on this theme now. And that is why we are having discussion on how we can scale up the support to SMEs across the world; what are the lessons from around the world that we can learn; how can we make sure that infrastructure financing is available while ensuring that the environment controls the risks that investors have to face by focusing on infrastructure. In short, the issues are: What are some of the lessons from around the world? What are some of the alternative approaches? This is why there are discussions within IOSCO about the benefits of non-interest financial products and Islamic finance.

    You have seen countries such as the UK, Japan and others announce that they are going to go to the markets to do ‘Sukuk’. So you are finding non-traditional borrowers also looking at non-traditional markets. So for us in Nigeria, it is very interesting to learn from the experience of others; we listened in the AMERC meetings to the other countries from the region with respect to Islamic finance. And I think Egypt’s example where they have a comprehensive law which basically focuses on non interest financial product and if you then want to focus on Islamic finance, it is a subset of that and also very interesting.

    I think it is interesting that other countries such as South Africa have been actively using these instruments, Islamic finance instruments, and they are available to both the Muslims and non Muslims population. Similarly, Kenya and also a country such as Zambia are also looking at it. We in Nigeria are looking at it because it is clearly an area that other countries are looking at and we are trying to see whether it can help us in our financial inclusion agenda so that we can ensure that it helps us address some of the challenges that we face in Nigeria. Whether it be that some people feel excluded and therefore, to some extent, it could help us address some of the social cohesion and security challenges that we face in our own country. It is very interesting to look at the examples that other countries have had in this area.

     IOSCO chair, Greg Medcraft said  issues with banking and funds are not coming the way it used to. What is your reaction to this?

    I think if you assess, and in my opinion, the countries in AME have been very serious about implementing global best practices. What we have seen particularly in the last four years that I have been chair of the AMERC region is that countries are particular about building world class capital markets. Whether from South Africa to North Africa, from Zambia to Algeria, I think everyone wants their capital market to be the first port of call for investors, whether domestic or international. When I listened to  the country presentations as to what each individual country is doing, I was very excited about what we have achieved in the last four years. I think everyone recognises the value of people not saying these are developed markets and these are undeveloped markets. Everyone wants to be a world class market and it is very exciting for me.

    I also think we have seen the benefit. You have seen a number of countries doing very well. Some of the countries in MEA have been the top performing markets across the world. Our country both in 2012 and 2013 was among the top performing. Other countries in the region, UAE (United Arab Emirates) and a number of others were also among the top performing. Some of the issues we talk about in Nigeria, I hear other countries talk about them, which is to make sure that our markets have the right depth and breath, there is sufficient listings  so that investors can have variety of stocks to choose from; that there is enough liquidity so that investors can enter and exit the market when they want to, such that that capital market operators are meant to operate on global best practice and that when people do the wrong things, they are brought to book by the regulator.

    We share experiences about what we are all doing across the region and some of the things that we are doing in Nigeria, we see in other parts of Africa.

    I tnink that confidence is being rebuilt; it does take time to rebuild trust when trust is broken, so I must say that I am actually impressed with how quickly a number of the markets in AME region have been able to rebuild trust.

  • Job website partner Accenture, others to empower Job seekers

    Job website partner Accenture, others to empower Job seekers

    Africa’s 1st social jobsite, Insidify.com in partnership with Accenture, VLA, TheCable.ng, OLCA and a host of other organizations is commemorating Nigeria’s Independence with a promotional package for professionals and jobseekers.

    According to the Social Job site, the promotion seeks to transform Nigeria’s professionals and jobseekers into what the company calls “Premium Professionals”.

    If selected as one of the “54 premium professionals”, participants in the free independence offer, will partake in a 1 on 1 Life coaching, training session with Nigeria’s foremost Life coach, Lanre Olusola and other leaders in the human resource industry; including Victor Adebayo; VP Human Resources at FBN Capital and Jimi Tewe.

    In addition the “selected 54” will enjoy a free professional CV crafting service by the company’s experienced team of CV writers in collaboration with Jarushub.

    Furthermore, the company promises to actively market this group of professionals to its partner firms for employment opportunities. The partners of the offer include recruiting agency VLA, consulting firm Accenture, OLCA and over 1000 employers on the company’s employer platform.

    According to the CEO of the Company, Dr. Emmanuel Okeleji, “At insidify.com, we believe that the future of Nigeria will be determined by the quality of its citizens. That is why we have chosen to invest in the human competence of Nigerians by giving them the resources that will drive excellence and success.

    To participate, apply at www.insidify.com/independence.

     

  • ‘Privatised power sector requires enforcement agency’

    ‘Privatised power sector requires enforcement agency’

    At the time the Electricity Management Services Limited (EMSL) was set up, stakeholders in the power sector raised concerns about the possibility of conflicts with other agencies in the sector. The Managing Director, EMSL, Mr Peter O. Ewesor, an engineer, in this interview with JOHN OFIKHENUA, argues that the regulator cannot regulate and at the same time enforce because technical expertise is required to checkmate the operations of the firms.

    There is an allegation that the Electricity Management Service Limited (EMSL) is implementing the “Operation Light Up Nigeria” project, which is the core mandate of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). How true is this?

    I think, first and foremost, that is not true. Operation Electrify Nigeria is the function of the Federal Ministry of Power. So it is the Federal Ministry of Power that is handling the Operation Light Up Nigeria projects, not  REA. Although it is a rural programme,  it is a special project handled by the Federal Ministry of Power, as I know it.

    The argument is that since it is a rural project, it should have been executed by the REA. It is also alleged that the projects are skewed in favour of Bayelsa State. How were the project’s site chosen?

    That project is not under EMSL. I have no information about that because it is entirely not within our jurisdiction. You can’t see EMSL advertise anything about Operation Light Up Nigeria.

    Does this mean that you are not implementing any projects under the project?

    No! Operation Light Up Nigeria was commissioned by Mr. President at Mpape. I was invited to the event as an agency of government; it was executed by the Ministry of Power. Basically, it is not within our jurisdiction to do that. I do not know of any other information on it not to talk about the projects in Bayelsa State.

    Is there any function of EMSL that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is not already performing? Don’t you think your agency is a duplication of the roles which other agencies are already performing?

    There is no duplication between our functions and the functions of NERC. I have repeatedly told energy correspondents that NERC is the regulator, which is supposed to be the agency of government to make laws, regulations, codes, and standards. But an enforcement agency of government is always separated from the regulator. It is not only in Nigeria that we have two bodies in the same sector- there is Energy Commission, Ghana and also Energy Utilities Commission in Ghana. These are two different regulatory agencies of government dealing with economic and commercial regulations and the other is dealing with technical regulations. But our case is quite different. The Minister of Power has saddled the EMSL with the enforcement of the technical standards in the industry, which was being performed by the Electrical Inspectorate Services Department of the Federal Ministry of Power. And when EMSL was formed and inaugurated in September last year, the Minister of Power found it very imperative and said we cannot leave the enforcement undone because NERC was established. So, since 2005 when NERC was formed till date, and even before EMSL was created, this enforcement of technical and safety standards, inspection and testing and certification are being performed by the Electrical Inspectorate Services Department of the Federal Ministry of Power, and that may be the reason, under the Section 98 under which this enforcement was being performed, it was retained. And as such, the power to do those functions means the EIS of the Federal Ministry of Power is still the sole body that is performing those functions. But as you know, the industry has been privatised, it is no longer under government and so to give effectiveness and make it something that is actually more efficient, they now moved those functions and all the facilities and expertise to the EMSL to form the core functions and services to be performed. As we speak today, it is only EMSL that has the capacity in terms of equipment, in terms of expertise. We have well-trained engineers that are holding 16 offices across the country to do what we call inspection, testing and certification.

    What are we achieving with this? It is basically to ensure that the projects are properly planned; they have been properly designed, they have been properly installed, and that after commissioning, they will be delivered back to them in a safe manner. Otherwise, government cannot be the technical guide of enforcement in the industry. And in any case, the function was not in any way ascribed to NERC either in the regulation on in any way or by any statement.

    Is the technical expertise you talk about in the local content context or you import the services for the supervision of operation in the industry?

    As it stands today, we have all the technical expertise which has been developed over the past 50 years. I was the head of that division in the Federal Ministry of Power. I joined that service 33 years before I was appointed as the Managing Director, and we inspect, test and certify projects from generation to transmission to distribution to utilisation and all the components in the value chain. We actually have the expertise to deal with it. Our men have been trained internationally, locally and they are today in this country. In fact, in this sub-region, no other agency of government or private individual that has engineers with the core competence- the expertise and the skill to do technical services, in testing and certification. But now that we are in EMSL we are going to enhance the capacity of our staff by actually exposing them all to international best practices, as the technology is evolving. I can tell you clearly that there is no agency of government including NERC, to say they have the skill and expertise we have in EMSL.

    And to buttress this point, the consultant, which I repeatedly mentioned that developed the framework for setting up NERC, made it very clear that they don’t have that capacity, and that they should not bore themselves with those functions that require specialised  skills and expertise. Those reports are there. And  the Presidential Task Force equally this year published and made it very clear that they should allow EMSL to be performing its functions, and that in the long run, they should set up a technical independent organisation to be doing the work. So the present scenario is not overlapping. It is not overlapping with any agency’s functions.  These functions have remained in the ministry and industry, which you cannot play with if we want to develop our power sector, especially now you have private investors, who are profit oriented, who need to actually survive. Before now, if there is an electrical fault, which may have led to the death of somebody, you can’t sue government, and government too could not sue you. But today, I can tell you that if there is electrical accident, maybe somebody’s house has a fault, he can sue (the power firm), and the power firms too can sue. And when you look at that, one should be very careful with the system to ensure that the networks are properly monitored; that we tell them that this is not correct and make sure you correct this as soon as possible to avert danger. He will correct it and avert that particular danger. Somebody was talking recently saying they have technical expertise, there is no technical gap in the industry. It is surprising to note that somebody would say there is no technical gap when the inspectors in the industry are the inspectors we have for now which are struggling to do the activities in the industry to make sure that the networks are safe. That is why you find (thank God you are in this country) when a line drops in Port-Harcourt landed on people’s head, they could be amputated. But if there is enforcement, it could actually be effective if with a bill we are actually given the teeth to do it, these things can be minimised, they can be eliminated.

    As it is now, does your office have the power to supervise the operations of the DISCOs and GENCOs?

    Of course, by the policy pronouncement of the Honourable Minister of Power, yes we do.

    Have you started exercising the power?

    Of course, since September last year. We have started.If you have been listening to news, you would have known that we have been doingthat. We have been to some of the DISCOs to sensitise them.They are new in the business and we have to let them knowwhy they have to do certain things correctly and what thebenefit of our worth to them is. For example, now you find thelines are going through trees and there is a lot of gaps andwe can assist them to ensure as much as possible that ifthey clean up the line, you have more power going to peoples’homes and houses. There are a whole lot of things that wehave been doing. There was an accident recently in Abujawhere people died and we actually made the Abuja DISCO to goand correct it. We insisted that the installations that areall over the place are corrected and once our men reportedto them, they did the right thing correcting it.Everywhere, you see trees on the line, once wereport to them, they must act.

    How do you think the operations of EMSL can save the country from losing revenues?

    Our operations can save the country a whole lot of things; it is unquantifiable.  We are going to save this country a lot of funds and resources. I hope you are aware that we are in charge of ensuring that the meters that are brought into the country are of the right quality. If somebody brings meter into this country and the meter is not of the right right standard, and it is not of international standard as specified by the metering code that is made by NERC, we have to checkmate it. If meters that don’t meet NERC’s metering code are allowed to come into the country, they will constitute a lot of waste of energy resources. In fact, they are going to be industrial waste. What we have not realised in this country is that when you bring equipment and the equipment cannot be used, then it becomes an industrial waste. We nust  begin to define how we deal with industrial waste because we must clean up the system when we are talking about toxic wastes and others.

    How do you regulate this?

    Once we have checked and tested an equipment and it is not of the right quality, the person will be prevented from bringing it in. But what we do is that before we bring an equipment into Nigeria, we bring about three pieces to be tested. After the test, if we find it not good enough, we will not allow you to bring them into the country. But if that skill is not there such that the man just brings in all the meters it is a colossal waste because the meters cannot be used, the instruments cannot be used and then nothing will work. Both the supplier and the government will be losing their revenue and scarce resources because in this country, people think when you lose money, it is only you that lose the money. The government is still losing money because any money that is provided now is by the government. It is only by virtue of the functions of your activities that the money becomes your money. So if you use it wisely, it will be to your benefit and the country and the government, and the benefit of every person. We checked some transformers in recent times, we found out that the man was asked to install 500KV and he went and put 300KV. From our test, we were able to discover that; that is shortchanging the consumers because the transformer can only carry a total load of 300KV. After that, the transformer will blow, and that is why you have a lot of bad transformers all over the place because they are not maximising our resources. You also find that somebody was asked to install a  150mm cable, and he has gone outside the country to bring conductors; brought 120mm. So what has that got to do? It means it cannot deliver the quantity of power that it ought to deliver with the right size of cable. EMSL is actually going to save the country a lot of resources, and create the right and conducive environment for people to work. In fact, some of these DISCOs’ workers would climb wooden pole that are not too tall, may be the pole cuts, the man falls, the pole falls and he breaks his hand or he is even dead. So there are a lot of things we need to look at, but many people are asking about the duplication of the functions. What is the duplication here? One man is to make the law, set the standards; somebody else is to enforce it. It is not only here that it is happening.

    Are there examples to buttress this point?

    In Ministry of Environment, there are so many regulators and enforcement agencies. In aviation, they are there. For example, the first thing that happened was that somebody said you people are doing the work of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). It is not true but we and SON are collaborating. What do we want to achieve? We want to achieve quality, and one agency does not just do the quality and say we have done it. They will create the standard with the relevant agencies of government and somebody will enforce it. That is what we call a specific industry practice because SON will not be everywhere. But EMSL in the power sector will try to be everywhere to ensure that all products, equipment, materials being used in the industry are of the right quality. The construction that has been made, we make sure it is of the right standard. Presently, we are monitoring some special installations within and around this country the result of which we will soon publish. We are not waiting for anybody because we know somebody has alleged that the agency of government assigned to do technical enforcement is doing procurement. We have three meter test stations in this country. It is a facility taken over from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), well equipped and standardised. So we have advertised and some of these things we are going to execute them.

    How much do you think the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is losing as a result of sub-standard equipment?

    You can’t really say the actual amount but the money government is losing to inferior equipment, sub-standard equipment and items is something that needed to be urgently addressed. We should think of how to empower and enhance the capacity of EMSL to carry out its functions so that we can reduce these kinds of inferior materials coming into the country in the first place and ensure that they are not being used in the system. If you do your research very well, go to some of the companies not just the DISCOs and GENCOs because our work is not restricted to DISCOs and GENCOs. Our work covers anywhere they are using electricity. Recently we went to inspect a project in Lagos; we discovered that what the person has done is what he cannot do in his own complex and international complex. And we stopped him. You cannot connect that. It is our resources, even if you bring your own money from another country to work here, you are doing business with the purpose of recovering the money and then leaving us with ramshackle, carcass, then it doesn’t make any sense.

     

     

  • Inlaks gets Sales and Strategy director

    Inlaks, a distributor of Temenos T24 banking application in West Africa, has appointed Mr. Precious Osegi as its new Director, Sales and Strategy, Financial Business Unit.

    In a statement, the company described Osegi as a highly experienced senior business leader with over 18 years experience in information communications technology (ICT) markets across the United States of America (USA), Middle East and Africa (ME&A).

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Inlaks, Africa Operations, Mr.  Femi Adeoti, welcomed Osegi to Inlaks.

    He said his vast experience in the ICT industry would be of immense benefit to the growth and development of  the firm in the country and Africa.

  • Resume for govt jobs needs transferable skills

    In these times of economic instability, nothing is more beneficial for most companies than to hire efficient people with a large set of varying skills. These people are those who are flexible and well-rounded to carry on and coordinate multiple tasks.

    Government offices like private companies are on the lookout for these special types of employees. Because federal funds are restricted and limited, they would always make it a point to maximise and spend these funds on people who are worth the money and time of the organisation. They want someone who not just know the specific job, but someone who has the abilities and values to accomplish many types of duties and the knowledge necessary to realise different goals.

    That being said, it is then very necessary that a resume for government jobs includes relevant and general abilities that are valuable across a multitude of jobs and industries. Unlike before when jobs are suggestively the same to develop specialisation and expertise, this time around, what most employers require are the existence of what we call “transferable skills.”

    What are transferable skills?

    Transferable skills are basically those acquired abilities that are beneficial and pertinent to a wide variety of jobs and industries. They may have been gained from previous employments, school, past trainings, or even from a personal experience at home or with friends. Among the most common examples of transferable skills are “self-motivation,” “communication,” “creativity,” “problem-solving skills,” “leadership,” “flexibility,” “time management,” and “customer service orientation.”

    Transferable skills and their

    appeal to government offices

    Besides the fact that most government institutions want to economise human resources through the employment of a well-rounded and highly skilled staff, these government bodies require exemplary-skilled applicants. These are the applicants who have strong rational and technical skills and likewise the expertise to communicate with others and work effectively with a group of people. Most especially that more than a hundred applicants battle for a single spot, there is nothing more effective than to evaluate people based on what they could do and what they could offer compared to other applicants.

     

    Amplifying transferable skills in resume for

    government jobs

    Though transferable skills are somewhat applicable in almost any type of jobs, applicants should still be wary of the particular skills that are best suited to a given profession. Basically, they need to check on the particular job opening, assess the skills and requirements needed in those open posts, and apply the greatest skills that best match the prerequisites.

    For example, a person who is to apply as an account representative should not amplify merely his/her experience in clerical works or her background in administrative duties and computer activities. Instead, he/she should apply transferable skills and focus on magnifying her experience through the use of such qualities.

    For instance, to intensify her experience in administrative duties, she may write about her customer service and interpersonal skills experienced, which were best applied to her involvement with a large variety of personalities and management levels. She may also boast of her effective time management skills as evidenced by the multiple tasks she was able to manage simultaneously on her previous employment.

    To sum up, resume for government jobs no longer stands as a basic enumeration of all the jobs held within the last few years or so. What is more vital in today’s time is the edge of one applicant over another. For this, it is advised to apply necessary and relevant transferable skills on the resume and amplify them on each task accomplished for every employment.

     

    EkiniConsult & Associatesis organising three free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only.

  • Cyberoam appoints enterprise account manager

    Cyberoam has appointed Robert Elizabeth Chinedu as its Enterprise Account Manager for Nigeria.

    Her appointment would add to the commitment to render quality security to the enterprise class customer community.

    Mrs. Chinedu will be playing an instrumental role in expanding Cyberoam’sclient base in the region apart from managing the existing client relations. Her primary focus would be on enterprise customers.

    Mrs. Chinedu is a Microsoft certified professional with more than eight years of experience in this domain.

    Her core competencies include business development, market planning and positioning, multi-channel product distribution, sales team building and leadership, key account relationship management and new product technology launch.

    She has been involved in most kinds of business development activities related to creating demand, expanding distribution channels, and managing account networks in Nigeria.

    The firm’s Country Manager (Nigeria), Mr. Jimi Falaiye, said: “Cyberoam welcomes Mrs. Chinedu. Her experience as a product manager in handling critical projects and customers for enterprises, strong grasp on emerging technology trends and thorough understanding of the network security market will be beneficial for Cyberoam.

    ‘’With Mrs. Chinedu’s appointment, we expect to meet and deliver as par the expectations and demands of our esteemed clientele in Nigeria, in a timely and streamlined manner. We see tremendous opportunity for growth in the region and with the title of ‘Security Solution of the Year’, we intend to capitalise on the need with more haste.”

    She would be involved in activities, such as meeting and briefing customers from the enterprise segment about the firm’s solution, generating opportunities by visiting resellers, following up with inquiries generated by Cyberoam through various events, collaborating with the local marketing team in organising end-customer events, participating in end-customer events/exhibitions by working  with various teams.