The Nation Newspaper

Tag: German

  • The German ‘machine’

    Interesting scenes have played out in the ongoing Confederations Cup competition holding in Russia. The hue and cry have come from the Video Assistant Referees (VAR), whose judgments have been faultless, the recent decision being the red card issued to Cameroon’s defender in their game against Germany. Colombian Ref Roldan Wimar’s decision was wrong. The red carded Cameroonian, Sebastien Siani, protested, rightly so. It took the VAR to change things, even though the Indomitable Lions lost 3-1. Ernest Mabouka was correctly sent off after video replays.

    I won’t join the motley crowd in Nigeria who are using the Cameroonians’ awful outing at the Confederations Cup to gauge the Super Eagles’ chances against them in August inside the Nest of Champions Stadium in Uyo. No two matches are the same. Otherwise, football wouldn’t be as exciting as it is. Some Nigerians must understand that certain teams are ‘voodoo’ opponents to certain clubs and countries. Indeed, when such fixtures occur, it is the better team on the day that wins, irrespective of how the teams have fared before the game. Nobody can predict the results of the two-legged matches between Nigeria and Cameroon scheduled for August and September in Uyo and Yaoundé.

    But the most interesting scenario in Russia is the exploits of the Germans. Not many people in Germany were happy with the players the German coach, Joachim Low, picked for the competition. Low was pilloried by the German media, ex-internationals and pundits, especially as they are the defending World Cup champions, having won the trophy in 2014. For Low’s critics, it was suicidal for the defending World Cup champions to be the whipping team at the competition. Low ought to have taken the bulk of players who won the trophy in Brazil three years ago to the Confederations Cup, they said.

    Germany Football Association chieftains stood by their manager’s decision to pick a second string of younger players for the Confederations Cup. These German football administrators bought into Low’s explanation of looking for new boys to replace the ageing ones. Low wants stiffer competition for shirts among the players in the team by 2018. The manager’s reason made plenty of sense. But the average football fan wants his country or favourite teams to win all their games. Not good at all. It raises the pertinent question of rebuilding the team when key players get tired or cannot play at the level that they are by 2018.

    Low isn’t perturbed by the fans’ criticisms because he has been through this path before in the games leading to Germany winning the 2014 World Cup diadem in Brazil. Low is drawing lessons from Spain which won the World Cup and later the Confederations Cup with their World Cup winning side, only to be humbled at the Mundial in Brazil. The Spaniards haven’t recovered. They are still suffering the transition of their golden generation, with the new lads taking too long to blend into a formidable side like their predecessors.

    Interestingly, Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio described the German side before Thursday semi-final clash in the Confederations Cup thus: “You have mentioned that Germany is a very young squad; they have only one player who is 20. Benjamin Hendricks, who plays with Javier Hernandez at Bayern Leverkusen.

    “There are two who are 21, Niklas Sule and Julian Brandt, who are the same age with Mexico’s winger Hirving Lozano. Being young and having experience are two different things. For example, you can go to university when you are 30 years old and become a heart surgeon and have no experience at all.

    “But you can study when you are 21 and then work in an emergency room in a huge

  • Afghan capital mourns victims of truck bomb blast as anger swirls

    Afghan capital mourns victims of truck bomb blast as anger swirls

    Kabul on Thursday mourned victims of a powerful truck bomb that killed no fewer than 80 people and wounded hundreds amid growing public anger at the government’s failure to prevent yet another deadly attack in the heart of the Afghan capital.

    Wednesday’s blast, at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, ripped through a traffic-clogged street, packed with people on their way to school or work during the morning rush hour, causing hundreds of casualties in an instant and sending a tower of black smoke into the sky.

    In scale, it was one of the worst such attacks since the U.S.-led campaign to oust the Taliban in 2001 but in kind, it was only the latest in a grim series that has killed thousands of civilians over the years.

    President Ashraf Ghani made a televised address late on Wednesday, calling for national unity in the face of the attack, which his National Directorate for Security blamed on the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, but he faces an increasingly angry public.

    “For God’s sake, what is happening to this country?,” said Ghulam Sakhi, a shoemaker whose shop is close to the site of the blast.

    “People leave home to fetch a loaf of bread for their children and later that evening, their dead body is sent back to the family.”

    The explosion occurred near the German embassy at one of the entrances to Kabul’s unofficial Green Zone, a haphazard warren of concrete blast walls and sandbagged check points that has grown up around the diplomatic quarter over the years as the insurgency has intensified.

    While the sewage tanker carrying the bomb was stopped from entering the zone, it was unclear how such a large quantity of explosives could get through the ring of checkpoints set up around Kabul to protect the capital.

    A huge crater ripped into the ground at the site of the blast and shattered windows in houses more than a kilometer away were testament to the power of the explosion, which was set off by a bomb concealed in the tanker.

    Several embassies were damaged and a number of foreigners wounded, but the majority of victims were, as ever in such attacks, Afghan civilians.

    “Right now, thousands of our people are in mourning. Why and for how long do we have to suffer this situation?

    “We want our leaders to ensure security in the country and if they can’t, they should resign,”said shopkeeper Enayatullah Mohammadi.

    Deputy Interior Minister Murad Ali said on Thursday that 80 people had been killed and 463 wounded in the attack.

    The true number of victims may never be known, however.

    According to police, several guards who apparently stopped the tanker from entering the Green Zone have simply disappeared.

    There has been no claim of responsibility but Afghanistan’s National Directorate for Security blamed the Haqqani network, a Taliban affiliate directly integrated into the militant movement, and said it had been helped by Pakistan’s intelligence service.

    The Taliban have denied involvement.

    On the streets, however, the main concern was survival.

    “Every morning when I leave my house, I’m not sure whether I will come back home alive,” said Najibullah Jan, another shopkeeper whose store is located near the blast site.

  • German govt rehabilitates school’s facilities

    The German Development Cooperation (GIZ), on behalf of the German government, has rehabilitated the sports ground of the Muslim Girls High School, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

    At the official opening of the rehabilitated facility, GIZ’s portfolio manager, Mr. Michael Sato, who represented the Country Director, Dr. Thomas Kirsch, said the support dates back to the visit of a government official in 2014.

    “This football ground was rehabilitated, and a multi-purpose court and changing room constructed at 95,000 Euros. The site was completed in time and certified fit for handover. “We hope the new ground gives the pupils access to regular sport activities and to development opportunities.

    “We acknowledge the support from the German government in Information Technology, and specifically the donation of 10 sets of internet-ready computers and two printers,” Sato said.

    Germany’s Consul-General to Nigeria Mr. Ingo Herbert urged Nigerians to operate with team spirit.

    “Team spirit is the secret of the success of the German economy, and this should be emulated by Nigerians,” he said.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Mrs. Modupe Mujota, who was represented by Mr. Salako Taiwo, urged the pupils and management of the school to use the facilities positively.

    His words: “I urge direct beneficiaries of these projects to maximise the opportunities provided, by upscaling their academic performance and competitive exploits so that our benefactors will be encouraged to do more. The school management should carefully maintain the facilities so they can serve us for long.”

    The school principal, Mrs. Ibrahim Bolanle Wasiat,  thanked their benefactors and prayed God to replenish their pocket.

  • German group trains 160 Plateau youths

    German group trains 160 Plateau youths

    It is no secret that youths without any viable means of livelihood are easily manipulated and recruited by unscrupulous individuals to foment trouble. But how do you stem this tide?

    In Plateau State, which has seen much mayhem perpetrated by youths, a German organisation, GIZ, which specialises in peace building, on behalf of the European Union (EU), has tackled the problem by training no fewer than 160 youths in skills, and equipping them with tools to set up their new trades.

    They were trained in plumbing, tilers, carpentry, POP installation, masonry, house-painting and welding, among others.

    The most interesting aspect of the training is the creation of a job portal that will expose the artisans to developers and others who need their services. The “Job Creation Centre”, which is an internet portal, contains the names, skills and other particulars of the artisans. Each of them can be contacted through the portal for any available job.

    Explaining how the portal works, Mr. Everest Miri, the portal operator, said, “The job centre is meant to expose these trained artisans to the outside world for contact. There are huge construction works going on in Nigeria, but the developers often run into the problem of getting skilled artisans for the construction. This lack of access to qualified artisans has led to two things: the developers had to hire the services of artisans from neighbouring countries, or the developers tried to make do with unprofessional artisans available to them. This on its own has led to capital flight and, the worst, poor quality of construction resulting in collapsed buildings all over the country.

    “But with the training of these artisans and the creation of the job centre, quality of services has been guaranteed and the trained artisans can be accessed to render their services. So the job center concept is aimed at redefining service in the construction industry, developers would not have to look outside to get professional artisans. The truth is that artisans have never been organised in this manner. There is a big market for construction in Nigeria but how prepared are the artisans for this task of nation building. There are lots of untrained artisans who dupe innocent Nigerians, which is why we have cases of substandard constructions all over.”

    One of the factors said to be responsible for prolonged violence in Plateau State was the issue of idle youths who are often recruited and equipped with weapons to carry out violence. The state witnessed such prolonged conflicts between 2001 and 2014.

    Promoter of the training, Everest Miri said, “This group of 160 artisans is just a tip of the iceberg; hundreds more youths will be trained in some other skills, this is just the first batch, in the next two weeks another batch will commence their own training.

    The state governor, Simon Lalong who launched the job portal, said, “The EU, through GIZ has helped a lot in reducing conflicts in the state by targeting the youths for capacity building. The governor who was represented on the occasion by Mr. Haggai Gutap, the director general of Plateau State Micro-Finance Development Agency said, “Government is going to develop the policy framework for the engagement of the artisans in all government constructions so as to give the artisans the opportunity to deploy their skills for state building. Government is most happy because these youths will no longer be jobless and they will no longer be recruited by conflict merchant to cause violence.”

    The job centre and the portal can be accessed at artisanjob@-gmail.com. The website is www.artisanj-obcenter.ng, while the GSM lines are 08111071196, and 08034519640.

    Two of the trainees, James Joseph and Adeyemi Becky said it a dream come true. “The training has opened our eyes to a lot of things we never knew about our job. The equipment like safety boots, hand gloves, safety workshop dresses and safety helmets boost our morale”.

  • Lufthansa cancels 912 flights as pilots strike enters Day 2

    The strike by Lufthansa pilots in support of a pay demand is in its second day on Thursday, with the German flagship carrier cancelling 912 flights for the day.

    The strike has hit the travel plans of some 100,000 long-and short-haul passengers.

    The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) Pilots’ Union announced that the strike, the 14th in a dispute stretching back to April 2014 would be extended to a third day on Friday, from the two originally planned.

    The stoppage, aimed at pressing demands for a backdated pay increase of 22 per cent over the five years to April 2017, grounded 876 flights on Wednesday.

    In total, 215,000 passengers have been affected over the first two days.

    Report says the Friday action is likely to hit primarily short-haul flights taking off within Germany.

    The company said it planned to service all its long-haul destinations on Friday.

    Airports across Germany were noticeably quieter than usual, with Munich badly hit as well as the main hub near Frankfurt.

    Group human relations head Bettina Volkens repeated a call for the union to enter into arbitration with Europe’s largest airline.

    However VC spokesman Joerg Handwerg rejected arbitration, saying pilots had been “uncoupled from changes in pay in Germany for the past five years” and that they were no longer prepared to be left on the sidelines.

    Chaos was avoided by many Lufthansa passengers simply staying away from airports.

    The company was providing ongoing information on its website and arranging alternatives for stranded passengers

  • Re: Governors for German Vocational Training?

    SIR: The letter with the above title written by one Professor Adekunle Akinyemi published in The Nation of Wednesday July 27 page 18 refers. The truth is that the short, three day visit to Germany is meant to domesticate certain German successes in Nigerian states based on the presentation by the German Ambassador towards the diversification of the economies of the states, now that revenue from oil has become very contentious, not as forthcoming as before and when it comes it is few and far between.

    The likes of Professor Akinyemi should endeavor to appreciate governors’ efforts to ameliorate the sufferings of the Nigerian people. It is important to know that the current economic circumstances in all the tiers of government have technically eliminated wasteful ventures and no one is more aware of this than governors. None of the governors on the German trip went with more than the aide whose function is critical to the visit. The governors will be visiting agricultural and health products manufacturing concerns, to discuss how to transfer their technology to Nigeria.

    The mention of vocational training arose because the team would also look at such centres with a view to establishing same in Nigeria towards a comprehensive job-creation module for Nigerian youths. Our governors are not undergoing vocational training. Most of them are accomplished in the professions, businesses or academia.

    Nigerian governors are doing their best to drive their states out of the woods. This German trip is one such effort. And there are several other efforts to appreciate. In Delta State, the government is partnering with Switzerland to diversify the economy and move the state from over-dependence on oil. Lagos and Kebbi states have paired up to improve rice production in partnership with Access Bank. Sokoto State has just established a secondary school in the only Local Government Area that never had one. Adamawa State has opened feeder roads in several parts of the state where roads were unheard of before; commerce and other social activities have begun to flourish in those areas. Kaduna State has taken giant strides in its urbanization drive, since Nasir el-Rufai stepped in, moving it from its decade’s old decay to a modern hub for northern people. Borno and Yobe states are rebuilding public confidence by resettling Internally Displaced Persons in their domain and life is steadily returning to normal. On the social plane, the Ogun State government has just adopted a nine-year-old child that had been abused by his own father. Besides, just as nearly 70% of revenue generated by the Federal Government in June did not come from oil, states are also doing their best to augment their income by looking inward, to raise their Internally Generated Revenue. Why can’t people see all these?

    Indeed, the pending issue of non-payment of salaries in some states has remained contentious but that is because those who benefit from the bloating of wage-bills with ghost workers have refused to allow the screening and biometric identification of the work forces of some of these states to be concluded, for genuine workers to be identified and paid. But governors are determined to get to the root of the matter. There is light at the end of the tunnel and governors should be encouraged not disparaged. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive.

     

    • Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo

    Head, Media and Public Affairs,

    Nigeria Governor’ Forum, Abuja.

  • Industry research strengthens German varsities, says envoy

    Consul-General of Germany, Mr Ingo Herbert, has said one of the reasons German universities are strong is because of a healthy research collaboration they have with industry.

    Herbert spoke at a seminar on education opportunities in Germany organised by Saturday Jackson Jason (SJJ) Educational Support Nigeria Ltd held at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Tuesday.

    “Big companies in Germany give researches to universities.  For instance, BMW gives research to universities, which help students to work on real life problems.  This is part of German success,” he said.

    The envoy said Nigerians should consider studying in Germany as a less expensive but qualitative alternative to the United States and United Kingdom, especially as tertiary education is tuition free.  He said his country attracts the third highest number of international students after the U.S. and UK.

    Herbert said education has been free in Germany since 2014 when the government directed universities it funds to stop charging both indigenous and foreign students fees.

    “Studying in Germany is free.  We have many good universities.  In 2014, of 2.7 million students in our schools, there were about 300,000 foreign students.  Twenty-five per cent of students in Technical Universities are foreign.  We have 121 universities among which are special universities for applied sciences; technical universities, and we have universities for arts and humanities,” he said.

    The envoy also told students they could access grants and scholarships from the Goethe Institute and the Germany Academic Exchange Services.

    A session on visa application was handled by Mr Sebastian Polzin, Deputy Head of Visa Section, German Consulate General, Lagos, who counseled intending students to be convincing about their intention to study in the European country.

    He said the decision to approve a visa application is taken by proof of funding, an assessment of submitted documents and the performance of the applicant during the interview session.

    “The number one reason of turning down an application even when all requirements are met is doubt of intention of the applicant.  It starts with applying the right way; presenting yourself the right way.  We are visa desk officers but we cannot read minds.  We analyse your interview and documents, and under the discretion clause, we consider your intention,” he said.

    Mr Saturday Jackson, Chairman of SJJ Educational Support Ltd, said his firm organised the seminar to create awareness about affordable and qualitative education available in Germany, which he has benefited from at undergraduate and graduate levels.

    He said there are now many courses taught in German language, adding that Nigerian students can take language lessons to enhance communication.

    Jackson, who studied Criminology at BSc and Masters level, said he spent 20 years in Germany and is now seeking collaborations between the country and Nigeria so Nigerians can benefit from high quality education the country offers.

    “They respect students more than anything in the world.  It is not only studying tuition free; while studying, you can access grants every month.

    To make navigating the German education system easier, Jackson, said the firm would offer Nigerian students an array of support services from the application stage to settling down in Germany for a fee.

    The services include: consultation, assistance with application/visa process/ accommodation search/internship and grants search, airport pick up, tour, and the like.

    However, the level of support services would depend on the category of fees paid by the prospective student.

  • German firm trains WAUU staff, students on emergency management

    A German-based company, Randmed Pharmaceuticals, has trained some students and staff of The West African Union University (WAUU), Cotonou, Republic of Benin on emergency management and first aid medical response.

    The programme, which was held at the weekend on the campus of WAUU, is under Randmed’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm for Africa, Africa Medical Capital (AMEDICAP), through its maiden edition for tertiary institutions across the African continent.

    Project Manager of AMEDICAP, Andreas Reiner, who met with the management of WAUU earlier before the training session, emphasised that many avoidable deaths occur in Africa owing to lack of effective emergency management, which necessitated its (AMEDICAP) set-up as a response squad to give Africans effective and professional training on the subject matter.

    The training session was attended by the management staff  of WAUU including the President, Dr Bishop Adeyemi; Registrar, Alhaji AbdulKabir Onifade; Sub-Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, Mrs. Benedicta Egbuharan and Head of Nursing Science Department, Dr Djibril Nadjim among others during which some medical equipment and defribillator, a diagnosing machine on emergency health management,  were presented to the institution.

  • New Mauritius core investor takes over Nigerian German Chemicals

    New Mauritius core investor takes over Nigerian German Chemicals

    Mauritius fund-management company, Advanced Finance and Investment Group (AFIG Funds) has fully taken over as the new core investor and manager of Nigerian German Chemicals (NGC) Plc. The takeover led to major changes in the board and management of NGC, including the resignation of the chairman, executive vice chairman and a non-executive director.

    AFIG Funds, through one of its funds-Atlantic Coast Regional Fund (ACRF), had in December 2014 reached agreement with shareholders of NGC to invest $14 million in the Nigerian company. The parties to the transaction then followed through the approval process with relevant regulatory authorities including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    A source in the know said the takeover of the board and management was sequel to receipt of all necessary approvals from the Nigerian regulatory authorities. In a terse regulatory filing, NGC said its chairman, Mr.  Babatunde Savage; executive vice chairman, Mr. Adeboye Shonekan and a non-executive director, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo resigned their appointments on September 4, 2015.

    The new core investor promptly immediately appointed Mr. Stephane le Bouder, a director of AFIG Funds, as the acting chief executive officer and Mr. Samson Osewa, a director of NGC, as acting chairman of the company. Both appointments took effect on September 4, 2015.

    Based in Mauritius, AFIG Funds is an investment fund management company with $ 122 million under management. It is one of the premier fund managers dedicated to private equity investment in Africa. AFIG Funds has offices in Dakar, Washington DC and Johannesburg. Atlantic Coast Regional Fund LLC (ACRF), the maiden fund of AFIG Funds, is a regional fund focused on 29 countries in West and Central Africa. ACRF considers investments in all sectors, and targets strong growth companies, preferably with a regional scope, in its target region.

    AFIG Funds’ investment would provide NGC with the means to embark on its next phase of development, which includes the completion of new and more modern production facilities with expanded production capacity.

    Besides, AFIG Funds would also enable the company to add an intravenous fluids plant, further cementing its position as a local leader in the manufacture of critical healthcare products. The investment will also support the company’s continued expansion and diversification of its brand offerings under its own name, and under license from global pharmaceutical leaders such as Johnson & Johnson.

    Shonekan had hailed the investment from AFIG Funds as the much-needed catalyst to accelerate the growth of the company.

    “The partnership with AFIG Funds represents a unique opportunity for NGC. AFIG Funds brings not only capital to accelerate the company’s growth and expansion, but also support to management and international experience that is already helping to strengthen the company’s ability to seize new market opportunities. NGC has a long and proud history as a leader in Africa’s largest market, and we look forward to building on this legacy to help strengthen the Nigerian healthcare sector, as well as facilitate access to world-class medicines for the people of Nigeria,” Shonekan said.

    Chief executive officer, AFIG Funds, Mr. Papa Ndiaye, said the investment in NGC was as a result of a painstaking selection process over a six year period and involving several companies across the regions.

    “We are pleased to invest in NGC. Over the past six years, we have evaluated a number of pharmaceutical companies in West, Central and East Africa, and found NGC to present one of the best investment opportunities in the sector, in terms of local leadership and strong brands,” Ndiaye said.

    He described NGC as a resilient company that is poised to capture the tremendous market opportunities in Nigeria.

    NGC produces and distributes its own brands of medicines, as well as several brands under license from major international pharmaceutical companies. It produces liquid and tablet medicines and also has a beverage production facility, subdivided into water and soft drinks. In the company’s 50 years in the market, it has built a portfolio of brands, including household brands such as Abidec, Daga, Gluformin and Valgin. Other products included Sparwasser, a brand of bottled, and Vimto and Sunkist, flavored and carbonated drinks which it produces under license for the Nigerian market.

    The new chief executive, Mr. le Bouder holds both French and American citizenships and had prrior to joining AFIG Funds, served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the US Treasury Department Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington DC. As a political appointee, he had worked with senior Treasury and White House officials to advance the Obama Administration’s international financial and development agenda in Congress.

    He had earlier worked for the US Congress as Staff Director for the House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade. As senior committee staff, under the leadership of Chairman Barney Frank (Massachusetts), Stephane helped draft the landmark Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Under the leadership of Subcommittee Chairman Gregory Meeks (New York), he was responsible for congressional oversight of US engagement with multilateral institutions.

    Prior to working for the US Government, he worked for MyC4, a Danish technology startup building an online peer-to-peer microfinance lending platform dedicated to Africa.  Mr. le Bouder also worked for Chatham Financial, in Pennsylvania, advising regional and community banks across the US on identifying, modeling and trading interest rate risks. He started his career at the Corporate Executive Board in Washington DC, advising Fortune 500 clients on Treasury function best practices.  He holds a BA and MA in Economics from McGill University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

    Osewa, a pharmacist and member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, had served as Director of Pharma Production and Director of NGC. He joined NGC in 1982. He is a former president of National Association of Industrial Pharmacists.

     

  • German company to build N14bn factory in Lagos

    The investment drive of the Lagos State Government received a major boost on Monday when the representative of the Knauf Group International, Mrs Isabel Knauf expressed her company’s readiness to commence work on a N14billion manufacturing firm in the state.
    The plan was disclosed when the German Ambassador, His Excellency Michael Zenner, led a group of German diplomats and investors on a courtesy visit to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
    Zenner, while canvassing for an increased presence of German businesses in Lagos, also sought for improved bilateral trade relations with the State Government.
    “We are here to introduce and express our interest in business and economic cooperation, especially on food processing and building materials. A lot of allied companies in Germany also wish to join hands in the investment drive of the Governor”, the ambassador said.
    In his remarks, Governor Ambode who expressed his administration’s readiness to receive German investors, described Lagos as the economic hub of Nigeria and fifth largest economy in Africa, thereby making it investors’ first choice of destination in Nigeria.
    “As the economic hub of the country, we pride ourselves as the largest of the nation’s economy with the GDP of $131billion. For any German company that wants to do business in Nigeria, Lagos is your best bet. We are committed to the rule of law and we assure you of a safer and secured environment”, he said.
    The Governor, who described the visit by the German envoy as the first by an ambassador to actually visit and commit to commence immediate foreign direct investment, lauded their confidence in the Lagos economy.
    He assured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to do everything possible to ensure smooth take off of the project and sought to activate a state sister relationship with the city of Hamburg to further boost cooperation.
    “I also want to let you know that you are the first ambassador to come out openly that you want to come and start business immediately. With your coming, investors are beginning to have confidence in our quest to build an investor-friendly environment. I want to say openly that we are committed to give everything required by this group to start work immediately”, Ambode enthused.
    Earlier, Mrs Isabel Knauf of the Knauf Group International had solicited the support of the Governor towards locating a $70million (N14billion) building/construction tools manufacturing company in Lagos.
    She said the preference for Lagos was informed by its proximity to ports, availability of gas pipeline and a ready market.
    “We are looking to invest and build a factory here. We are looking for your support. We have been to Lekki Sea Port and want to proceed on investing straight off. I wish to express our interest in investing about 70million US dollars in construction tools factory in Lagos for the first stage”, Knauf said.