The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ECOWAS

  • ECOWAS to establish aircraft maintenance facility

    ECOWAS to establish aircraft maintenance facility

    Worried by the huge of maintaining aircraft outside the continent by indigenous airline operators, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is carrying out feasibility studies on how to establish an aircraft maintenance facility in the sub region.

    The Regional Director, Air Transport, Dr Paul Antoine Marie Ganemtore, stated this in Lagos.

    He said soon a working group would set in motion the modalities for the setting up of the facility, which he said would provide a window for carriers in the region to pull their resources together for repairs.

    He said funding for the project would be facilitated by the African Development Bank, which has commissioned some experts to review previous studies carried out on how to achieve the project.

    The ECOWAS director said the regional body was working on how carriers in the sub-region could come together to set up a stronger carrier that could bridge the gap of intra – African connections, which has become obvious after the demise of Air Afrique and some national carriers , including Nigeria Airways Limited and other carriers,

  • ECOWAS to establish aircraft maintenance facility

    Worried by the huge of maintaining aircraft out side the continent by indigenous airline operators, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is carrying out feasibility studies on how to establish an aircraft maintenance facility in the sub region.

    The Regional Director, Air Transport, Dr Paul Antoine Marie Ganemtore, stated this in Lagos.

    He said soon a working group would set in motion the modalities for the setting up of the facility, which he said would provide a window for carriers in the region to pull their resources together for repairs.

    He said funding for the project would be facilitated by the African Development Bank, which has commissioned some experts to review previous studies carried out on how to achieve the project.

    The ECOWAS director said the regional body was working on how carriers in the sub-region could come together to set up a stronger carrier that could bridge the gap of intra – African connections, which has become obvious after the demise of Air Afrique and some national carriers , including Nigeria Airways Limited and other carriers,

     

     

    He explained that the his visit to Arik Air , in Nigeria is to explore opportunities for partnership on possibilities of where the regional aircraft maintenance facility could be sited .

    He said :” We were invited to visit Arik Air to consider how air transport could foster economic integration in Africa.

    This visit has afforded the team the opportunity to see the working of the airline and its operating capacity.

    We are impressed by the high level of competence, we have seen.

    We have visited the maintenance facility to see what is on ground, in terms of training.”

    He further explained that the ECOWAS Commission will continue to canvass the creation of a conducive environment through harmonised regulation and policy to fast track the growth of air transport in Africa.

    He said :” The role of ECOWAS Commission will simply be to create a conducive environment through policy and harmonised regulatio. For the growth of air transport and regional integration in Africa.

    Our goal is to turn the entire African airspace into a single market through air traffic rights and other measures that will give airlines the edge to enhance their capacities and compete favourably , through the removal of restrictive bottlenecks .

    There is need for airlines in Africa to cooperate in areas of training and capacity building.

    The main target of the commission is to fast track the integration of the region .

    We could cooperate with all airlines in Africa to be competitive and profitable.

    This is key because of the challenge of intra connectivity in Africa.”

    He further said :” Last year, the commission carried out a feasibility study funded by African Development Bank and World Bank to set up a maintenance facility in Africa.

    We are working very hard on this to see the project through .”

  • Customs warns against abuse of ECOWAS scheme

    Customs warns against abuse of ECOWAS scheme

    The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme command has warned importers operating along the border areas to stop abusing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

    Speaking with Newsextra in his office last week, the Area Controller, Comptroller Abdu Saleh Othman said the scheme was designed to encourage trade among West African countries and that it must not be abused by importers and their clearing agents.

    Othman warned that importers must not use the scheme to bring prohibited items into the country.

    He said the command is determined to ensure that smuggling and other forms of illegal economic activities along the Seme axis are prevented.

    The Comptroller said the efforts of the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi to curb illegal importation and boost economic activities along the border areas must be sustained.

    He said prohibited items coming to the country through the border would be seized and that the importer or their clearing agent would be arrested to face the music.

    The command’s revenue generation profile showed that the sum of N7, 986, 073, 939. 43kobo was collected last year as against the sum of N6, 243, 649, 157, 90kobo that was generated in 2011.

    The command recorded 480 seizures of various goods with duty paid value (DPV) of N227, 035, 726, 00kobo.

    The seized items included motor vehicles, frozen poultry products, used tyres, rice of different brands, textile material, and leather shoes among others.

  • ECOWAS Commissioners Courtesy Visit

    ECOWAS Commissioners Courtesy Visit

  • Customs warns against abuse of ECOWAS scheme

    Customs warns against abuse of ECOWAS scheme

    The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme command has warned importers operating along the border areas to stop abusing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

    Speaking with Newsextra in his office last week, the Area Controller, Comptroller Abdu Saleh Othman said the scheme was designed to encourage trade among West African countries and that it must not be abused by importers and their clearing agents.

    Othman warned that importers must not use the scheme to bring prohibited items into the country.

    He said the command is determined to ensure that smuggling and other forms of illegal economic activities along the Seme axis are prevented.

    The Comptroller said the efforts of the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi to curb illegal importation and boost economic activities along the border areas must be sustained.

    He said prohibited items coming to the country through the border would be seized and that the importer or their clearing agent would be arrested to face the music.

    The command’s revenue generation profile showed that the sum of N7, 986, 073, 939. 43kobo was collected last year as against the sum of N6, 243, 649, 157, 90kobo that was generated in 2011.

    The command recorded 480 seizures of various goods with duty paid value (DPV) of N227, 035, 726, 00kobo.

    The seized items included motor vehicles, frozen poultry products, used tyres, rice of different brands, textile material, and leather shoes among others.

  • ECOWAS chief seeks coordination of projects at national level

    The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, has called for proposals from stakeholders to improve communication and cooperation for coordinated implementation of regional programmes in Member States.

    Ouédraogo spoke at the opening of the 7th annual Retreat of officials from the ECOWAS Commission and Community institutions at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.

    He said: “Enhancing the coordination and synergy of actions by various actors in the Community is essential in ensuring the coherent implementation of Community programmes.”

    The ECOWAS chief said the first session under the present management would have an added dimension of providing an opportunity for insight into “huge regional integration projects” for the realisation of the dream of the founding fathers for the socio-economic integration of the region.

    He said the projects were an expression of the region’s commitment to “accelerate the realisation of a developed and integrated West Africa supported not only by dense and complementary infrastructure reinforced by the creation of an enabling regional environment while increasing the capacity for resilience of their economies.”

    Governor Godswill Akpabio urged stakeholders to work towards accelerating the region’s integration.

    He said this holds the key to regional economic development and safeguarding the welfare of the citizens since none of the 15 Member States could go it alone.

  • ECOWAS vows to rid region of terrorism

    ECOWAS vows to rid region of terrorism

    ECOWAS leaders have vowed to tackle the issue of terrorism headlong.

    They made the commitment during the 66th session of Heads of states and government of West African states on Mali and Guinea Bissau in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivore

    According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting on Thursday, ECOWAS leaders endorsed the Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Implementation Plan as well as the Political Declaration on a Common Position against Terrorism.

    On the Security and Political Situation in Mali, the ECOWAS authority strongly condemned the on-going suicide bombings and guerilla attacks by terrorist and extremist groups in the north of Mali.

    It also urged the allied forces to take all necessary steps within the framework of the counter-insurgency operation to neutralize them and ensure the prosecution of collaborators.

    Meanwhile, ECOWAS leaders at the meeting endorsed the revised Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for African Forces in Mali and urged both the political leadership and Commanders of the allied forces to ensure improved coordination among themselves for a harmonious and effective operation.

    They also endorsed the recommendations of the meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff regarding the urgent and other identified needs of AFISMA.

    In this regard, the leaders directs the ECOWAS Commission, in close collaboration with the AU Commission, to ensure that these needs are met without further delay, in particular the deployment of troops and the provision of additional logistics.

     

  • ECOWAS extends deadline for Bissau polls

    Elections that coup-stricken Guinea-Bissau was to have held in May have been postponed after West African leaders prolonged the mandate of its caretaker government by seven months.

    Reuters says the delay underscores the challenges faced by transitional authorities in the tiny West African nation – a known narcotics trafficking hub – following a military coup in April 2012 that prompted international partners to freeze aid.

    Heads of state from West Africa’s 15-nation ECOWAS bloc extended the transitional period in Guinea-Bissau until December 31, according to a communique issued late on Thursday after a summit in Ivory Coast.

    It said ECOWAS was asking transitional President Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo to propose a revised timeline for elections to be held before the end of the year, instead of May as planned.

    The former Portuguese colony was thrown into turmoil last year after soldiers ousted interim President Raimundo Pereira and Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior days before an election Gomes Junior was favored to win.

    The military junta handed power back to a civilian leadership led by Nhamadjo in May under a deal brokered by ECOWAS, but which was criticized by the United Nations, the European Union and the CPLP grouping of Portuguese-speaking states as dealing too softly with the coup leaders.

     

  • ECOWAS parliament hails France

    ECOWAS parliament hails France

    The Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has commended the leadership of the ECOWAS and France for the success recorded in the war against terror in Mali.

    He said Mali and Guinea Bissau were test cases for the survival of peace, democracy and integration in the sub-region.

    Ekweremadu, who is also the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, stressed that the Community Parliament would take legitimate steps to reinforce the quest for lasting peace, security, democracy, and good governance in the sub-region.

    He spoke at the opening of the First 2013 Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on the Political Crisis in Mali and Guinea Bissau in Abuja yesterday.

    The Speaker said: “Terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere and a threat to peace anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere.

    “I, therefore, wish to commend the government of France and the ECOWAS institution for doing the needful and for showing leadership and courage when it mattered most.

    “The Community Parliament will not spare any legitimate steps to reinforce the quest for lasting peace, security, democracy, and good governance in Mali and Guinea Bissau.

    ”We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that no part of this sub-region is surrendered to nefarious and anti-democracy interests in whatever guise they may come.”

    The plenary also witnessed the swearing in of the maiden delegation of the Cote d’Ivoire to the Parliament. The Speaker expressed happiness that the vacuum created by the absence of Cote d’Ivoire in the sub-regional Parliament over the years due to political crisis in the country had been successfully filled. Ekweremadu, therefore, enjoined members of the Ivorian delegation to immediately go to work and contribute their quota to the integration, democratisation, and development process in the sub-region.

    Meanwhile, the ECOWAS Parliament has elected two new Deputy Speakers. Hon. Kaboure Alexis of Burkina Faso replaced Hon. Sere Sereme Saran of the same country as Second Deputy Speaker, while Hon. Simon Osei Mensah of Ghana replaced his compatriot, Hon. Michael Nyaumu as the Fourth Deputy Speaker.

    The First 2013 Extraordinary Session will consider and adopt the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Political Crisis in Mali and Guinea Bissau

     

  • Ministry, ECOWAS, private sector to grow real sector

    How can the Federal Government’s transformation agenda and industrialisation goal best be achieved? It is by harmessing the National System of Innovation (NIS), says the Ministry of Science and Technology, Prof Ita Ewa.

    Speaking at the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on Innovation for the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos, he said his ministry would collaborate with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission to achieve the goal.

    According to him, the ministry with the support of the ECOWAS Commission is seeking the private sector’s partnership to drive the real sector’s growth.

    The minister said: “Science, technology and innovation are pillars of socio-economic and environmental development of any nation. Data management and the development of indicators of science, technology and innovation have been identified as major axis of the actions to be implemented in the short-term as they allow government and stakeholders to review the systems in place. It is believed that this innovation will impact on the lifestyle of Nigerians if effectively pursued.”

    He added that the ministry hoped to facilitate public-private partnership (PPP) in research and development and commercialisation of the products.

    Ewa said Nigeria was playing a leading role in the implementation of the initiative, which would contribute to its socio-economic development and that of ECOWAS.

    He said the Science and Technology Ministry is committed to driving innovation.

    “It is hoped that this National System of Innovation (NSI) framework will evolve a strategy to foster innovations at all levels of government from wards, local, state, regional to the federal level.

    “The public and private sectors must be properly engaged to drive sectoral innovation,’’ he said.

    The National Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Duro Kuteyi, praised the Federal Government on the initiative. He canvassed more funding to aid food processing in the country.

    He said: “The lack of innovation for processing has continued to affect local production and capacity utilisation in the country. Food security can only be enhanced through an effective food processing initiative. If we must avoid dumping, small and medium enterprises must be empowered for exports. We do not have adequate security to obtain loans for efficient processing of goods for export. If this can be addressed, SMEs would become more pivotal in the growth of the country’s economy, while food security would be assured.”

    Also, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) commended the ministry’s effort in driving development through innovation, noting that there was a need for frequent interaction with the private sector to enhance the innovation and effective implementation.

    MAN’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Rasheed Adegbenro, said the NSI has opened a new vista between the private sector and government and the opportunities therein should be harnessed through improved partnership with the OPS.