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  • Fed Govt to revive ailing industries, create jobs, says Minister

    Fed Govt to revive ailing industries, create jobs, says Minister

    The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has said the Federal Government was determined to give the industrial sector the needed attention in its resolve to revive ailing industries, boost private sector confidence, so as to deliver jobs to Nigerians.

    Enoh, who addressed the media in Lagos yesterday as part of a two-day technical session organised by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Lagos, said the move is part of strategy to re-energise and realize the country’s industrial ambitions.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Enoh harped on the Federal Government’s resolve to turn years of planning into measurable progress, by reviving industries, boosting private sector confidence and delivering jobs to Nigerians.

    Held under the theme: “From Activities to Outcomes: Driving Industrial Renaissance,” the session brought together members of the Industrial Revolution Work Group (IRWG), a key delivery engine designed to convert Nigeria’s industrial blueprints into tangible results.

    Enoh said the government is working to restore private sector confidence and revive moribund industries, in effort to reawaken the country’s industrial potential.

    He noted that the wave of industrial shutdowns and closures was on the decline, saying there are signs of recovery driven by increased private sector optimism and government’s actions aimed at rebuilding trust in the economy.

    He said: “We are not here for symbolism or routine talk-shops. We are here because something must shift permanently and decisively in the way we pursue Nigeria’s industrial ambition.

    Read Also: New orbit galvanising steel plant to save billions in FX, create jobs — Audu

    Success cannot be measured by the size of our communique or the elegance of our presentations. It must be measured by the systems we fix, the industries we revive, the jobs we create and the lives we impact.”

    He said the theme of the session captures the urgency of the moment, adding that the Industrial Revolution Work Group was not created as another advisory body, but as a delivery-driven platform designed to fast-track industrial execution.

    The forum, he stated, is focused on identifying practical, high-impact interventions that can be implemented quickly and scaled over time to create sustainable change across the industrial landscape.

    A critical highlight of the session was the announcement that Nigeria’s long-awaited National Industrial Policy would be unveiled soon.

    He promised that a full-fledged, updated policy, reflective of current economic realities and nourished with relevant stakeholder input, will soon be finalised and presented.

    This policy, he said, will not sit on a shelf. It will be a working document that speaks directly to the challenges of energy insecurity, weak infrastructure, regulatory bottlenecks and the need for a globally competitive manufacturing sector.

    He further noted that while Nigeria has in the past committed over $2 billion to initiatives like the backward integration programme in the sugar industry, such efforts must now be underpinned by a coherent and enforceable national strategy.

    The upcoming industrial policy, he assured, would be designed to mobilise capital, unlock long-term financing, address infrastructure gaps and drive local content utilisation, especially in raw material sourcing.

    Enoh also highlighted the administration’s commitment to the “Nigeria First” policy, a presidential directive aimed at strengthening patronage for locally produced goods and services.

    He revealed that even before the official pronouncement by the President, his office had already been working in that direction. He referenced Ogun State’s initiative mandating civil servants to wear adire fabric once a week, which has led to resurgence in the indigenous textile industry, as a model worth replicating at the national level.

    He said plans are already underway to launch a nationwide campaign that champions local content and industrial pride. Enoh challenged participants to focus their discussions on clear, time-bound outcomes.

    He said: “As we break into thematic sessions, I urge everyone to think in terms of execution. What can we implement in 90 days, in six months, in one year?  How do we move the needle now, not in theory, but in measurable actions?”

    He urged the working groups to craft bold, catalytic proposals that can unlock value quickly and be monitored for results.

    “This must be the beginning of a new ethos, one that rejects passive commentary and embraces agile execution,” he said, pointing out that Nigerians are watching, investors are watching.

    Enoh said the future of our industrial sector depends not on how much we say, but on how much we deliver.

    As the session progresses, stakeholders from government, private sector, academia and international partners are expected to align on a roadmap that will transition Nigeria’s industrial sector from prolonged planning to practical prosperity.

    The IRWG, according to Enoh, will remain a permanent engine room for results, driving reform, enabling manufacturing growth, and ensuring that Nigeria’s long quest for industrialisation finally translates into real-world impact.

  • ‘Shea butter policy’ll boost export, create jobs’

    A policy document on shea butter production will create more jobs and increase exportation of the product, the Federal Government has said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Sunday Akpan, spoke during the presentation of the draft policy document on shea butter in Abuja, during the week.

    He said the government was working towards ensuring that Nigeria stopped the importation of Shea-based products like vegetable oil, soap and other cosmetics.

    Akpan, represented by the ministry’s Director, Department of Commodity Produce and Inspectorate (CPI), Mrs. Omololu Ope-Ewe, said Nigeria will build a virile shea hub.

    According to him, the shea hub will take the country to a point where she will be exporting high quality shea butter and other products instead of exporting the raw nut, which yields nothing.

    “The policy will enable thousands of Nigerians to find new opportunities in shea business and engage millions in both direct and indirect jobs for wealth creation,’’ Akpan said.

    According to him, the country must evolve new strategies to gain market access for shea products.

    He said Nigeria needed to agree on the right method that would attract and stimulate new and sustainable investment in the shea sector.

    Read Also: ‘We empower rural women through Shea butter production’

    Akpan added that the National Shea Policy would guide, regulate, protect and support stakeholders in the sector.

    “Nigeria accounts for about 57 per cent of global shea supply, producing about 400, 000 metric tonnes yearly.

    “It is, however, disturbing that more than half of the total quantity produced is unaccounted for due to poor post-harvest handling.

    “Others are lack of modern processing equipment, low investment, lack of innovation, research and development,” Akpan said.

    The Deputy Director, Commodities and Products Inspectorate Department, Mr. Napoleon Abalaka, said the challenges of the sector had been non-improvement on production and processing methods.

    Other challenges include lack of credit for expansion and handicap in producing high quality products for global export.

    He, however, said the policy document would encourage investors who would be willing to put their hard earned money in the sector.

    According to him, most investors were not willing to invest in the sector because of the absence of a protective mechanism and safety net that would meet their expectation in Return on Investment (RoI).

    A representative of Management Strategy Advisory Limited, Mrs. Funmi Ilamah, said Nigeria lacked a solid structure and plantation to boost the sector.

    According to Ilamah, the country produces 75 per cent of shea while it exports only 10 per cent of it.

    She said the sector was faced with issues like lack of domestication and cultivation of shea trees in Nigeria.

    She, therefore, advocated for improvement on the production of shea through research and development of resource management.

  • ‘Theatre will absorb creative minds, create jobs’

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said the Lagos Theatre project was conceived as strategy to absorb many Lagosians with the ability to be innovative and imaginative, especially the youths. He said it is also to provide a platform for artistic expressions in film making, stage theatre, poetry, dance, music and other stage performances. This, according to the Governor, will also set the stage for theatre experience in four strategic locations across the state.

    Ambode spoke at the recent commissioning of the Lagos Theatre in Oregun by President Muhammadu Buhari, which was part of major landmark projects executed by Governor Ambode’s administration.The 400 audience capacity theatre is one of the 4 theatres conceived and executed by the Ambode-led administration in line with the vision to make Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sports the center piece of development agenda for the youths and the artistically endowed.

    “The Lagos Theatre located at Oregun and replicated in other areas of the state which includes: Igando, Epe and Badagry in its first phase, is to expand arts and performance spaces in Lagos and promote a thriving creative economy within the communities where these projects are located,” he said.

    He noted that the Lagos State Government’s initiative to bring theatre experience closer to more neighborhoods across the state will also generate positive excitement among the teeming youths of Lagos State.

    The Lagos Theatre in Oregun like the others located at Igando, Epe and Badagry  will sit more than 400 audience comfortably with a standard furnishing, a gallery, artiste changing room, rehearsal hall, restaurant space, rest rooms, alternative power generating sets and a well-laid out car park.

    The commissioning was attended by some members of the federal executive council, presidential aides and State Governors such as IbikunleAmosunof Ogun State, RotimiAkeredolu  ofOndo State, IsiakaAjimobi, of Oyo State,  KayodeFayemi of Ekiti State as well as the Governor-elect of Lagos State, MrBabajideSanwoolu and his deputy ObafemiHamzat.

    The event was also attended by All Progressive Congress party chieftains led by the State Chairman, Hon TundeBalogun as well as members of the State Executive Council, body of Permanent Secretaries and other top government officials.

  • How food processing can create jobs

    Food processing is directly related to agriculture and offers many jobs. Creating an enabling environment for young people to become entrepreneurs by processing agro products, stakeholders say, will contribute to the nation’s development, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Niji Group Managing Director , Kola Adeniji, has a  presence in almost every field,  including agriculture and  renewable energy. The group is carving a niche for locally grown food.

    His  success is linked to the establishment of  a food processing  industry in Ilero, Oyo State. The  company  owns a cassava  farm, a processing and equipment factory. The  processing enterprise uses mechanised and other improved methods in producing diverse cassava products such as garri, fufu, flour, among others.

    Farmers   in the area have  benefited from schemes that seek to both support empowerment and fight poverty, where back breaking labour and misery go hand in hand.

    It has  contributed  to small and marginal farmers’ income through fresh sales of agric products  and value addition.

    According to Adeniji, rural development can only be possible  through establishment of agro-based  industries, adding that  rural food processing industry plays a vital role in rural poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

    He said by opening mega food  processing clusters, more job opportunities will be created  as young people and farmers will be trained to adopt food processing techniques.

    To cater to the needs of large-scale, medium, small and micro-scale enterprises in the  food industry, he  said the government and the private  sector should set up processing plants within clusters.

    The clusters, according to him,  will serve as business incubation centres for the existing food industries and budding entrepreneurs as well as medium, small and micro enterprises to incubate their ideas and facilitate the provision of hands-on training to progressive farmers and potential entrepreneurs.

    He said there is need to locate  food industries in rural villages for convenience of collection and transportation of raw materials from farmers.

    Agricultural and Rural Management Training  Institute (ARMTI) Executive Director, Dr Olufemi Oladunmi said the importance of  food processing  industry  in  the  rural  area has been recognised.

    In order to strengthen the linkage between food industry and domestic agriculture, he said fostering food processing  to  use domestic agricultural materials in rural areas, has become very important.

    He  said  agro based industries play significant role in the Nigerian  economy providing employment opportunities to  the rural population & livehood to majority of the people.

    He said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food processing sector will help generate employment opportunities and will put the country  on fast growth trajectory.

    He expressed the need to promote food processing industry,  as it  would immensely help in reducing post-harvest wastage, and directly add to the incomes of the farmers at the bottom of the pyramid.

    He added that SMEs can create jobs by providing raw materials for   high growth of food businesses in the rural areas.

    Oladunni said encouraging rural based cottage food processing SMEs will  enable the development of a business ecosystem, which can continuously support other businesses across the value chain that deliver products for both domestic and international markets.

    The ARMTI boss continued that it is important small  food business develop in rural agriculture, because it  will continue to be very relevant to the overall GDP growth as well as employment generation.

    Agribusiness consultant, Ayodele David, also reiterated that the potential of rural food processing industry to tackle unemployment challenges is yet to be fully exploited.

    He said the development of the  segment is extremely critical to meet the national imperative of generation of significant levels of employment across the country.

    He stressed the need  to  support  the development of rural-based food processing SMEs.

    This, he added,  will  nurture and support the development of new age entrepreneurs, who have the potential to create globally competitive businesses.

    He explained that value-added food processing takes raw food ingredients and transforms them into higher value edible food products.

    He  explained, however, that  rural-based food processing industries  are  mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  and  face  such  challenges as  poor infrastructure, limited access to  appropriate technologies, volatile demand and small profit margins.

  • I’ll help Abia create jobs – Atiku

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Atiku Abubakar, says he will work with the Abia State governor to create millions of jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state. He was speaking in Umuahia during the PDP presidential campaign. He said that attention will be paid to small and medium scale enterprises to ensure millions of jobs for the youths, pointing out that Aba, as the acclaimed SME capital in Nigeria, falls into his vision.

    He thanked Abia people for being loyal and supportive of the PDP, adding that PDP has brought prosperity to the state. He stated that this year’s election is the most important in the lifetime of the country as it will mark a turning point. He maintained that the APC-led government has rendered millions of Nigerians unemployed. He called on Abians to send the APC government parking during the February 16th election. He accused the APC of plans to rig the election.

    In his speech, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, warned the security agencies and other stakeholders not to rig the election as that will result to violence and crisis. While maintaining that the PDP is for peace in Nigeria, he said that people should be allowed to vote and their votes should count. He also said the PDP will not condone foreigners from Chad and Niger Republics coming to vote and influence the results of the election.

    Earlier in his speech, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu described Atiku as the right man to become the next president of the country, saying that time has come in Nigeria when people must exercise their right to choose their leaders. Atiku had, earlier on arrival, paid homage to traditional rulers in the state where he was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Aha eji aga mba of Abia.

  • Family Homes Funds to create jobs, develop 500,000 houses

    The Family Homes Funds, a special purpose investment vehicle having the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated as founding shareholders, will be supporting the development of over 500,000 homes and 1.5 million jobs for Nigerians within the grassroots/ low income earners. The milestone will be achieved by 2023.

    The Family Homes Funds also launched a recruitment campaign to secure top quality capacity to deliver an ambitious, affordable housing programme as a key aspect of the Government’s Social Intervention Programme. The programme will be implemented through the support of International recruitment firm, PriceWaterHouse Coopers.

    Towards that goal, the Funds has recently completed the construction of 400 homes with an average cost of N3.5 million in Grand Luvu, Nasarawa State – part of over 4,000 homes under construction in five states namely Ogun, Nasarawa, Kano, Delta and Kaduna.

    A further 30,000 homes are at advanced stages of negotiation with development partners and will commence by November 2018. As the new company builds capacity through the ongoing recruitment campaign, it will achieve a program of 80,000 homes by December 2019.

    Also, creation of new jobs is a critical element of the Funds programme. Ongoing investments are already making a real difference with over 13,000 jobs created and about 360,000 to be created from current development pipeline. The Grand Luvu Project in Nasarawa State has created about 8000 jobs .

    The story is no different for Abu Imtiaz, a graduate of Accounting from Kaduna Polytechnic, who before now wasn’t employed, but is now engaged as an accountant on site.

    According to officials of the Fund “Our focus is to create homes that people, particularly those on low income can afford but beyond that, ensure that we provide opportunity for them to earn decent wages consistently through our investment in these projects. We have spent the last 9months building very strong foundations for a major take off and now we should start seeing the results are affordable homes and jobs for local people”.

     

  • ‘Bio fortified food processing to create jobs’

    THE Nigeria bio fortified food processing sector has potential to attract millions of investment and generate employment of  thousands of jobs in the agriculture sector,  The Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria,Dr Paul Ilona  has said.

    Bio fortification is defined as the enrichment of the natural content of selected micronutrients in crops.

    Ilona  noted that biofortification has continue to generate employment around farming, including processing, packaging,  distribution, marketing services ,adding that it has  creates jobs for young people, especially those in rural areas.

    According to him, his organisation is initiating strategic partnerships are needed to bring about the creation of value chains dominated by large processors and retailers.

    He explained that his organisation is promoting biofortified crops with special emphasis on iron, vitamin A and zinc.

    Ilona said his organisation has provided biofortified maize rich in vitamins, apart from new technologies that can make or break a farmer’s livelihood.

    He said the organisation has worked with other stakeholders in Nigeria to develop supply chains for biofortified crops.

    According to him, farmers are being linked to new technologies that could increase their livelihoods and improve the health of their families through better crops and better nutrition.

    He said it was a critical time to encourage new approaches to production that meet a country’s nutritional needs.

  • ‘We’ll create jobs in Ogbomoso, Oke Ogun’

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Chief Michael Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), has promised to stimulate economic growth in Ogbomoso and its environs.

    He made the pledge during his visits to leaders of the party in Ogbomosho and Oke Ogun zones ahead of the party’s primary in August to pick its standard bearer.

    The APC chieftain noted that Ogbomosho is enriched with farm produce, which could be processed into finished products for export.

    He said: “I have the blueprint on industrialisation of Ogbomosho, Oyo and Oke-Ogun, based on comparative advantage of each zone.

    “Ogbomosho has the best cashew nut and mango fruits in West Africa. I will ensure that we have fruit processing factories in at least five places in Ogbomosho, which will convert these fruits from harvesting into finished product for export. This will create thousands of jobs for our youths and empower our women financially.”

    Addressing the party’s leaders in Iseyin, Akintola promised to prioritise the Ikere Gorge Dam, which he said has the potential to generate electricity for Oyo State.

    He said: “If the dam is completed, it will generate close to 1,600 megawatt (MW) of power and provide irrigation for more than 3,000 hectares of farm land in Oke-Ogun and a larger part of Ibarapa region of Oyo State.”

     

  • ‘Develop agric to create jobs’

    Experts in the agricultural sector has called on Nigerians to maximise the opportunities in the sector to create jobs.

    President, Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Funmi Onabolu, said there are opportunities to professionals of different disciplines to tap into in the agricultural value chain, beyond planting and harvesting.

    He spoke at the (N-BA) annual lecture in Lagos.

    He identified some of the opportunities to include focusing on food preservation, food processing, agric technology, agric engineering/tools, exporting, agricultural economists, research, engineering, agricultural logistics and transportation among others.

    According to him, if more Nigerians could tap into the opportunities in the sector, the waiting for government to do everything would be a thing of the past.

    “Government has identified that Nigeria needs to diversify beyond oil revenue country.”

    “Despite this, a lot of people are still missing out on the wide opportunities that exist in agriculture value chain. There is so much money to be made from the agriculture sector, 180 million people will have to be fed and we are still struggling importing so many things. “

    He urged government to improve on the policy and infrastructural gaps that exist in the agricultural sector.

    Country Manager, Dizengoff Nigeria, Antti Ritvonen called for more land to be used for agriculture in Nigeria, adding that government needs to work closely with the private sector and private farmers.

    “If more land is used for farming, Nigeria will be producing much more in the agricultural sector and would be able to catch up with the leading country in the world. “

    According to him, Nigeria has no excuse not to produce in argic because the land is rich in natural resources. “Nigeria must go fully into argic because a lot of jobs are in it and it is a good potential for the future of the country. Nigeria should not focus on export yet, it should first focus on the ability to feed its people locally and reduce or stop import. When this is achieved, Nigeria can then focus on export of agricultural products.

    Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company, Bismarck Rewane said, processing, packaging, distribution, and retailing must be embraced in agriculture.

    “Argic is beyond planting and harvesting. Looking into other areas in agriculture would enable Nigeria to achieve more in the sector.

    He noted that there is the need to bring in some kind of equilibrium in terms of the policy in agriculture to bridge the gaps that exist in demand and supply.

    “We must ensure that where there is demand there must be supply and where there is supply, there must be demand.”

    He urged government to give lower taxes and ensure security in the agricultural sector, adding that private farmers needs to be hungry for information, search for modern materials and improve on themselves.

  • Post-oil economy: Edo’ll create jobs

    Chairman, Edo Invest-ment  Summit, Asue Ighodalo, has described Edo State as Nigeria’s best secret in driving growth and development in a post-oil economy.

    Ighodalo, who is also the Chairman of Sterling Bank, made this known at the maiden edition of the Edo Investment Summit in Benin, the state capital.

    He said with its geographical location, natural endowments, dedication and commitment to drive private-sector investments, the  state has the capacity to create massive employment and become a sub-national economic hub.

    Ighodalo, while delivering his address at the summit which attracted other captains of industry from the public and private sectors, said, “The Edo State Government has convened this gathering of global, national and state leaders from the government, business and civil society to unveil and showcase Nigeria’s best kept secret, and Nigeria’s best kept secret is Edo State, and to reset the vision of the state in a post-oil economy, a vision of prosperous, productive and peaceful Edo State that rises to its full economic potential as a vibrant engine of growth within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “In conceptualising our agenda for the summit, Edo State has engaged in a deep and rigorous assessment of factors and drivers of its future, which we will over the next few days deliberate on and then we will all together agree on the focus strategies and actions that will make Edo State the investors’ preferred choice.

    “Our goal at this investment summit is simple. We will identify the factor endowments that give Edo the competitive and comparative advantage. We will explore and examine what we must do to create the factor conditions to maximise these endowments and we will commit to the actions that make Edo State the most competitive sub-national investment environment in Nigeria.”

    Besides, he said the report and recommendations from the summit, tagged Alaghodaro 2017 and with the theme, “Envisioning the Future,” would provide a framework for the Edo strategic action plan going forward.

    He noted that a lot of work had already been done in conceptualising and providing structures and appropriate incentives, which had led to the increase in investments and interest in the state.