The Nation Newspaper

Tag: beckons

  • Tinubu @ 62: National Conference beckons

    SIR: I wish to express my humble birthday wishes to this great Nigerian, humanist and political icon who clocks 62 this weekend. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu requires no introduction in our clime, having started as a senator in the botched third republic; he was in the trenches against the military during the annulment of June 12 elections, one of the darkest spots of our nation’s history.

    On the advent of the present political dispensation, he became governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. He has since then remained a leading political figure with progressive spirit in our country. More than anything else, his tenure as the governor witnessed a revolution-like development both in human capital and infrastructures. His revolutionary developmental strides range from road construction, e.g. Awolowo road, Kudirat Abiola road,(formerly Oregun road), Itire-Ojuelegba-Yaba road, Abaranje road etc, to the health sector where the story of the conjoined twin ended well and the popular ‘jigi Bola’ to the private sector driven gigantic power generation plants brought-in to improve electricity supply. Indeed his administration set the template for his high performing successor, Babatunde Fashola who today has raised the stakes even higher.

    More than Tinubu’s 62 birthday anniversary, I must impress it upon this detribalized Nigerian the need for his political party to reconsider its non-participation in the on-going national conference. That a political party with progressive credentials is missing from the conference does not augur well for our polity. In fact, if for nothing at all, we need people who will keep the conference on its toes all day and in my opinion this can be provided by the All Progressives Congress (APC). More importantly, the calibre of the members of the conference will surely allow for cross breeding of ideas on some of the contending issues like fiscal federalism, state police, revenue allocation formula, industrialization and employment generation etc.

    It is in lieu of the above that I call on Asiwaju to cause a re-think of his party’s non-participation at the National Conference on the occasion of his 62nd birthday for the sake of generations unborn, for something good might still come out of this conference. We need to give the conference the benefit of the doubt. Happy birthday sir!

     

    • Badejo Adedeji Nurudeen.

    Surulere, Lagos.

  • Lagos power market beckons investors

    Local and foreign investors and financiers may look no farther than the Lagos power market, where a huge electricity demand gap has created opportunities for investments in areas, such as expansion and upgrade of distribution network and equipment sale/vendor financing. Other areas yearning for investments are grid technology, gas supply and production of meters. Chikodi Okereocha and Toba Agboola report.

    Lagos State remains the hub of Nigeria’s commercial, financial and industrial activities. This is because much of the nation’s wealth and economic activities are concentrated in the state; which is why the city generates about a quarter of Nigeria’s total gross domestic product (GDP). The standard of living in the city is higher than in the rest of the country.

    The New York Times estimates the population of Lagos at 21 million, surpassing Cairo, Egypt as Africa’s largest city. The United Nations (UN) even went a notch higher, estimating that at its growth rate of 3.2 per cent, Lagos looks good to emerge the third largest mega city in the world by next year after Tokyo in Japan and Bombay in India.

    However, despite its intimidating credentials, there is a snag: inadequate power supply. This problem, which is not peculiar to Lagos, is a pain in the neck for Nigeria. It is the biggest constraint to economic growth.

    However, Lagos appears to have made the power challenge more pronounced than elsewhere. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria’s aviation, accounting for the largest share of air traffic in Nigeria (85 per cent of international and 47 per cent of domestic air traffic take place at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Ikeja.

    Also, more than half of Nigeria’s industrial capacity is located in the city centre, particularly in the Ikeja industrial estate. Besides, the nation’s two busiest seaports are located in Apapa. The seaports account for over 70 per cent of sea trade in the country. Added to these are thousands of small business owners, artisans, industrialists, corporate organisations, the government, and residents who combine to make a 24-hour power supply imperative.

    To understand the power need of the state, the state government has conducted a power audit, involving over 13, 000 residential, commercial and industrial locations. It revealed that only one-10th of the power need of the state is being met, leaving a huge supply gap of about 9,000 Megawatts (MW) of electricity.

    Governor Babatunde Fashola brought the reality of the poor electricity supply nearer home, when at the inauguration of the second phase of expansion of the Island Power Plant, he said: “A snap shot of the state wide energy audit reveals that only a little above 1, 000MW of electricity demand by residents of Lagos is being met by the national grid, resulting in every location audited having at least one generator issue.’’

    The result of the audit means that a lot more is required to bridge the gap between power demand and supply. It also means that a huge investment opportunity has been opened to discerning investors and financiers. For instance, available statistics show that 850 MW or 25 per cent of power generated in the country is allocated to the state, translating to about 10 per cent of the state’s energy demand. Figures also show that homes in the state alone require 7, 241 MW while another 2, 350 MW is required to power commercial activities in the state. Besides, 660 MW is needed to power industries.

    While the power supply gap has effect on most residents, the state government may have decided to turn the challenges to opportunities, hence it is dangling the proverbial carrot to would-be investors in diverse areas in the state’s power market, such as expansion and upgrade of distribution network, equipment sale/vendor financing, smart grid technology, and gas supply.

    Investors can also avail themselves of the opportunities thrown up in the production of meters. There are also opportunities in oil and gas exploration, following the discovery of oil in the state.

    However, the state government is one of the frontline advocates of renewable energy and clean environment canvassing the phasing out of generating sets, which was why it built and inaugurated three gas-powered Independent Power Plants (IPPs) with some private operators. The combined capacity of the three plants is 32.55 MW, this will make it possible for several government facilities and institutions to enjoy uninterrupted power supply.

    The electricity hitherto being consumed by those institutions is available to residents. Various streets are illuminated at night from the power plants, thus enhancing security and night life.

    But, the state is hoping to ride on the back of the forthcoming Seventh Lagos Economic Summit tagged ‘Ehingbeti 2014’ to showcase the opportunities in its power market to prospective investors. Already, the Lagos Economic Summit Group (LESG), the public-private agency responsible for the summit, which holds from April 8-10, this year, has confirmed that an array of high profile international and local experts and policy makers will speak and formulate strategies on how to bridge the gap in the power sector . The summit with the theme ‘Powering the Lagos economy: Real opportunities, endless possibilities’ would highlight the investment opportunities that the sector offers.

    According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze, the theme of the summit was chosen in line with the vision of the administration of Governor Fashola to provide a solution that is more holistic to power infrastructure problem in the state.

    “The inadequacy of electricity has been the biggest constraint to the growth of not only Lagos economy, but the Nigerian economy as a whole. This is why power is the focal point for the economic summit being the driver of other sectors of the economy, especially agriculture, transportation and housing sectors of the Lagos economy,” he said.

    But would the event not go the way of previous ones, which some people have described as mere talk-shops without proper implementation? “No,” said Akabueze.

    He said the launch of the IPPs was one of the gains of the previous Lagos economic summits, and demonstrates the commitment of the government to the implementation of resolutions taken at Ehingbeti.

    He emphasised that the power supply in the state is still a far cry from what it requires to power some its infrastructure development across several critical areas, such as e-Ticketing for inter-modal transport system, such as Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), Light Rail and ferries, traffic lights at critical inter-sections, and train and bus terminals for night operations.

    Akabueze pointed out that for agriculture, the state requires power for its mechanised slaughter lines, conditioning system to preserve meat and vegetables, Lagos Wholesale Fish Market, poultry and fish estates and the rice mills.

    Other areas include housing projects, hospitals, schools, central business districts, industrial estates, courts, markets and lighting of highways and streets.

    “These are limitless opportunities being offered to perceptive investors and financiers at the Seventh Lagos Economic Summit,” he explained, adding: “Lagos renowned for its huge population also offers immense investment opportunities for manufacturers of consumer goods, food processing companies, commercial and transport activities, small and medium enterprises as well as artisans most of who depend on uninterrupted and stable power supply to function optimally.”

    Indeed, the high level of commercial and business opportunities in the state is unprecedented. According to the commissioner, “48 per cent of petroleum products consumption in Nigeria is in Lagos as a result of high vehicular density; about 40 per cent of bank branches are in Lagos; while over 40 per cent of telecoms subscribers are based in Lagos. Ditto for the two newly established private sector-led Electricity Distribution Companies – Eko Disco and Ikeja Disco, which account for 50 per cent of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) business in Nigeria.”

    He expressed the optimism that the platform would attract significant venture capital and new businesses into the state. Participants and resource persons, would, for three days, be focusing on power issues aimed at attracting more investors into the state by raising awareness of the huge investment opportunities through the power sector and its ripple effects on other sectors, including agriculture, transportation and housing.

    Interestingly, the summit aligns with the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government anchored on the power sector reforms. Already, the Federal Government, which is attracting private investors, has since handed over units of the unbundled power generating and distribution firms of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to private investors, thereby raising the hopes of not a few Nigerians that the power jinx may soon be broken.

    For instance, Managing Director of Nigeria Machine Tools Limited (NMT),Norbert Chukwumah, is optimistic that going by the privatisation of the power generating and distribution firms, a new dawn is in the offing.

    “I am a strong optimist in the recent privatisation of the power generating and distribution companies. I do believe very strongly that it is a laudable objective on the part of government. I am also firmly of the believe that within the next 24 months we will all see a drastic improvement in the power situation of this country,” he said.

    Chukwumah said his optimism is fuelled by the fact that “because the power companies have been handed over to people in the private sector who are going to manage it and who realises that the only those facilities would be beneficial to the new owners to drive profit is by making sure that the customer has the power (electricity). So, their first and foremost objective would be the provision of the service to the customer so that in return they generate the necessary income”.

    The scenario is expected to play out in the state and, indeed, others that have initiated moves to open up the sector to investors.

  • The Past Beckons

    The National Museum in Esie, Kwara State is the oldest in Nigeria. It is also reputed to have the highest collection of soapstone images in Africa. Soapstones are soft rocks which were used for many generations in different parts of the world for carving and making of household utensils.

    The museum was established in 1945 by the colonial government to house about 1,500 soapstone images brought to the limelight in 1933 by one Inspector for the Oro area under the Church Missionary Society, Mr. H.G. Ramshaw.

    At the museum, tourists have the opportunity to see some figurines that date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The access to the museum for members of the public has been difficult due to the location of the museum and bad roads.

    But those who are able to brace these odds are rewarded with having the opportunity to see these rare artifacts.

    Getting to Esie, one gets a vehicle from Osogbo, the Osun State capital, or from Ofa which is even closer to the town.

    Although the Esie museum is rich in artifacts, it is suffering neglect. This has reduced to the minimal the number  of tourists to the place.

    Professor Bolanle Awe spoke on that: “Even though many people may not realize the importance of what we have there, others do, and I would readily cite the example of Gen. Yakubu Gowon when he came there in the 70s. He was so excited by what he saw that he gave the instruction that the road to the museum should be tarred so that people would have easy access to the place.

    “After that, the military did try in its own way to do something about the museum. Thereafter, there had also been other people who had shown recognition like the late Prof. Ade Obayemi. He was a historian and Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). He was very enthusiastic about refurbishing the museum, but unfortunately he could not actualize what he wanted to do before he died.”

    The people  decided to come up with  a festival as a way offering visitors to the town the opportunity to experience the culture of the people.

    Awe spoke on this: “When we decided to start the Esie Monuments Festival, Dr. Eluyemi, who was the Director-General of the NCMM, then showed so much enthusiasm. One of the events we always had was the seminar to discuss the significance on an intellectual basis, of the museum, what did it connote for the culture of the people. And it was such an interesting thing.

    “The fact is that as far back as the period before 1775, people were able to carve those images out of stones. They must have had knowledge of a lot of things-knowledge of carving, knowledge of hewing stones and knowledge of all sorts. They must have had quite a high level of technology to be able to do that.

    “These were some of the things that we also wanted to highlight and Eluyemi was very keen on that. He actually came the very first time to deliver a paper and promised us a lot of support, but unfortunately he died suddenly as well.

    “During one of the editions of the Esie Monuments Festival that we had, the minister in charge of culture sent his representative. The Director-General of the NCMM also came. So, they all showed interest in the Esie Monuments Festival and we feel that the way forward is for us to sustain that interest.

    “That is why we have the Esie Monuments Festival Committee to focus attention on the museum to make the international community know about it.

    “We are already working on the idea of having a website where we would further focus attention on the Esie National Museum, look at some of the items there, talk about the history , talk about even the community there and how that community came to produce something that is so interesting.

    “The Esie festival  is still on course. The only problem is that the organizing committee is having some little challenges which it is battling to surmount.

    “The committee set up and saddled with the responsibility is still working on modalities to have a befitting festival this year, precisely next month. It is not the problem of the members of the committee alone, but they have to move in terms of mobilizing the community to support them to understand what they are doing.

    “Also for the people living outside the community and in the Diaspora to show interest in the festival will definitely take some time. There is also the factor of money. The members of the committee have been dipping their hands into their pockets to finance the activities of the committee. It does not mean that the interest has waned or that the interest is no longer there. They are just trying to take their time to see that they come out with something worthwhile.

    “Let me also inform you that the committee was established by concerned culture patriots of Esie origin with the primary purposes of ensuring the preservation, protection and projection of all Esie cultural heritages for the economic benefit of the people, Kwara State and the country. One of the platforms by which we seek to carry out this task is this annual Esie Monuments Festival which is premised on the first ever National Museum in the country.”

    She also spoke about the Esie monuments: “This is where we have the first museum set up by the government. It was established because of what the white men saw there, more so that it really fascinated them. Unfortunately, we don’t have information as to how the stone images got there. Well, there are all sorts of theories about how they got there, but I don’t think I will be competent to speak about it because my colleagues who have been working on that are the ones one can regard as the authorities on the Esie soapstone images.

    “Some have said that the people came from Ife, others said they came from Oyo North, some have said there are other figures like these in some neighbouring towns which seem to suggest that perhaps there was a community there which was highly developed technologically. But how they came to assemble there is still a mystery that people have not been able to solve.

    “Of course, the local people have their own suggestions on how they came about, how an oba went out when he was not supposed to go out and for punishment his people were turned into stone images. That is a way of explaining it. This mystery accounts for why we decided to be holding the yearly festival. Second, we have lots of tourism potential and it has been generating some revenue for quite a while. So, the tourism potential has been there for a long time and I think what we need to do now is to beef it up to actually encourage people to come.

    “This is an area where the media can be of great help to us by letting people know what we are doing and inviting them to come. The community is already putting in place the infrastructure for tourism. You will note that there is now a hotel where people can stay and where they can have something to eat.

    “Some years ago, some of us women wanted to have chalets, a small canteen and small shops, but we didn’t quite make it. Then, there was somebody else who had a play ground for children there. So, the potential is there. It is just a question of getting support in the right places and we are happy that the Elesie himself sees it as his own and has been giving tremendous support.”

  • Nigerian entertainment conference beckons

    Nigerian entertainment conference beckons

    PUBLISHERS of Nigerian Entertainment Today, NET Newspapers LTD, have announced the inauguration of an annual umbrella conference for the Nigerian entertainment industry with the theme: ‘building the industry of our dreams’.

    The conference, which will debut on Friday April 26, 2012, ”is an invaluable initiative needed at this critical time in our industry, to steer the different sectors and associated elements, in the appropriate direction,” according to NET founder, Ayeni Adekunle.

    Nigerian entertainment conference, Ayeni says, will cover all the sectors associated with the entertainment industry. These include Fashion, Music, Movies/Films, and Media. Others are Sports, Arts, IT, Comedy and Events.

    “The conversation has been on for years, conversation about the way forward for the art and business of entertainment in Nigeria. And, since NET was established three years ago, we’ve been at the forefront of efforts to get the conversation going. Now, it’s time to bring everyone together so we can begin an active process of re-organisation,” Ayeni added.

    Set to hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites, the first-of-its-kind conference, Ayeni says, will feature sessions on Nollywood, Music, Media, and more, as well as the inaugural NET Honours to reward distinguished practitioners.

    Confirmed speakers include Kennis founder and CEO, Keke Ogungbe, iconic writer and director Amaka Igwe, GM Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Kola Oyeyemi, and Charterhouse Ghana founder, Iyiola Ayoade; while the likes of star actress Nse Ikpe-Etim, Headies founder, Ayo Animashaun, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, comedian Tee A, singer-songwriter Darey, advertising wizkid, Steve Babaeko, recording artiste, Weird MC, the iconic DJ Jimmy Jatt, National Mirror MD, Steve Ayorinde, new media expert, Elo Umeh, writer Tolu Ogunlesi, AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima and Chocolate City president, Audu Maikori, will serve on different panels. More speakers and panelists will be announced.