Tag: approves

The Bank of Industry (BoI) approved N25.322 billion as loans to 968 enterprises in the first quarter of 2014, its Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Waheed Olagunju, has said.

This was contained in a feedback document to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment by the bank’s chief when he briefed the supervising ministry on the bank’s activities.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 98 per cent of the beneficiaries were micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“In line with the focus of Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), all the assisted firms can potentially generate 182,926 direct and indirect jobs. Sectorally, building materials firms account for N9.8 billion, followed by agri-business with N5.9 billion,” Olagunju said.

Olagunju, who was appointed acting MD, pending the announcement of a substantive MD, is the most senior executive director of the bank.

He assured stakeholders that BoI would continue to build on the solid foundation laid under Ms. Evelyn Oputu.

The bank chief stressed that the institution would continue to operate in line with best practices to enable it contribute effectively to the successful implementation of NIRP and NEDEP.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, hailed Ms Oputu for her brilliant performance in office.

The minister said the erstwhile BoI chief transformed the bank into a first class development finance institution, and wished her the best of luck in her future endeavours.

Olagunju will be required to ensure continuity with respect to the ongoing diligent implementation of NIRP and NEDEP in line with BOI’s mandate.

President Goodluck Jonathan, on February 11, officially launched the NIRP and NEDEP, describing the NIRP as the most ambitious and comprehensive road map that would transform the nation’s industrial landscape, boost skills development, enhance job creation and conserve foreign exchange.

“The NIRP is the flagship industrialisation programme ever embarked upon by this country. It will fast-track industrialisation, accelerate inclusive economic growth, job creation, transform Nigeria’s business environment and stop the drain on our foreign reserves caused by importing what we can produce locally,” the President had said.

As part of efforts to eliminate the challenges hampering healthcare services, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the convocation of a health summit.

The summit, according to the Director, Family Health, Dr. Balami Wapada, has been scheduled for next month.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded arrangement for the next Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) plan. The last plan expired in 2013.

WHO organised a one-day stakeholders’ programme as part of the process to review WHO Country Cooperation Strategy CCSII (2008-2013) and the development of the third generation of the CCS II (2014-2019).

Federal Government, WHO and other stakeholders in the health sector have held a meeting aimed at eliminating the challenges and obstacles militating against the provision of quality health care.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the country is committed to achieving a Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

He said government priority was to ensure that health was made the centre of government’s 2015 development agenda, with the MDGs coming to an end.

The minister, represented by Dr. Wapada, at the WHO country cooperation strategy (CCS) stakeholders meeting, said: “As you are aware, President Jonathan has approved a presidential summit on UHC to be convened next month, which is a demonstration of our commitment to this initiative.

“It is hoped that this will drive the health system to ensure that Nigerians have access to the healthcare they need, regardless of their social or economic status.”

Speaking on the essence of CCS, WHO Country Representative for Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, said the plan helped to spell out the roles of each of the stakeholders.

He added that every of the stakeholders had different roles and this must be understood.

The WHO boss said the bottom up approach in the plan was as a result of the leadership challenges observed.

Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved N60 million for the payment of National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations’ fees for 6167 pupils.

This brings the amount spent examination fees in 2013/2014 to N120 million.

In a memo to the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, the governor said the approval was to give indigent pupils access to quality education.

He said: “This intervention is part of our commitment to expanding access to quality education. No one should miss out on quality education because their parents cannot afford the fees. We will continue to support pupils who show commitment to excellence through good grades at all levels of education.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the purchase of 30 units of 33-seater buses for civil servants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Head of Service of the Federation Bukar Goni Aji told State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to him, the purchase of the buses was approved to ameliorate the suffering of civil servants following the ban on commercial buses.

He said: “After the adoption of the previous conclusion, the President tabled a memorandum to seek council’s ratification of his anticipatory approval for the procurement of 30 units of 33-seater diesel air conditioned Innoson bus IVM6800, by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“The procurement of the buses will serve as a welfare package for civil servants and as a palliative for transportation difficulties being experienced by the civil servants living in satellite towns within the FCT as well as to increase productivity and raise workers’ morale for service delivery.

“In view of the priority placed on service delivery at institutional and individual levels in the public service by the administration and the benefits of the scheme on the lives of the beneficiaries, council ratified the President’s anticipatory approval for the procurement of 30 units of 33-seater diesel air conditioned Innoson Bus IVM 6800, in favour of Messrs Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd in the sum of N311,850,00.00, inclusive of VAT, with delivery period of 10 months. Each bus costs N9.9 million.”

The Minister of Information and Supervising Minister of Defence Labaran Maku said the choice of Innoson bus is in compliance with the directive of the FEC meeting of January 20, 2010 so that locally- assembled vehicles would be patronised instead of foreign vehicles.

The Minister of Special Duties Tanimu Turaki said President Jonathan has directed the ministry to ensure that there is no abandoned constituency in the country.

He said constituency projects were brought under his ministry to ensure proper monitoring of the projects.

On the constituency projects, Maku said: “The council took some time to discuss the progress in the implementation of the constituency projects across the country. As you all know, the President is determined to ensure that constituency projects, many of which were abandoned in several parts of the country, are completed to ensure that our people at the grassroots benefit from the expenditure and investments already being made on these projects.

“To smoothen the coordination of the implementation of the constituency projects, the President directed the Minister of Special Duties to coordinate and supervise the implementation of constituency projects.

“Constituency projects, you will recall, are projects allocated in the constituencies of members of the National Assembly and such projects are subjected by the National Assembly members, but of course implemented by the various MDAs.

“But over the years, we have had difficulties in the implementation of these projects because of the turnover in the National Assembly. You will find that the projects started by legislators, who were unable to return to the House or Senate, are often abandoned by those who succeed them.”

He continued: “This has made it difficult to execute and implement these projects. Another problem is due to project design and location of project. Sometimes, you will see a project that has to do with water supply located in the Ministry of Information or in a ministry that does not have the technical capacity to implement it.

“The President has decided to address it in fundamental ways through coordinating the projects in one ministry through supervision by the Ministry of Special Duties and ensuring that funds are released for constituency projects. At the last count, the Federal Government has set aside about N75 billion for the implementation of constituency projects.”