The Nation Newspaper

Tag: industry

  • ‘The Quartet’ moots film industry development fund

    ‘The Quartet’ moots film industry development fund

    Four major groups; The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Nigerian Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), under the umbrella of ‘The Quartet’, have endorsed the establishment the National Film Development Fund (NFDF).

    The move, according to information, is to enable the nation deal urgently with the dearth of funding for film production activities, and investment opportunities yet untapped in the Nigerian film industry.

    According to the four federal government agencies whose mandates and activities directly and remotely rub on the Nigerian creative economy, the nation’s film industry was in dire need of access to funding, support and assistance to enable it up its contribution to the GDP of Nigerian from just over 1.5% to between 10% – 15% within two years.

    To achieve this feat, the industry which has thrived on the resilience and private windows of funding would require the institutionalisation of a funding regime for the country.

    The fight against piracy, intellectual property theft, effective distribution, sustainable marketing framework, digitisation and content development also topped discussions at the meeting which was held in Abuja last week.

    In a remark at the meeting, NFC’s Managing Director, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe commended other members of The Quartet for their resolve to push for the realisation of it objectives. He said that more than before, the nation requires the commitment of government agencies to deliver on their mandates, through attractive programmes and projects with positive impacts.

    The Nigerian film industry, he further said has the obvious trappings to provide job opportunities for Nigerians. The resilience and investment of those in the business of film making, Maduekwe said should be protected always to guarantee return on investment as well as incentives for new entrants.

    The Director General of NFVCB, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas with Cornel Agim, Director of Operations (NFVCB), Bunmi Cole, Director Broadcast Monitoring (NBC), Bitrus Dauda, Deputy Controller (PRS) of NCC, Ahaji Sanusi Sambo, Director Finance & Accounts (NFC), Mrs. Halima Oyelade Zonal Head, NFC Abuja, attended the meeting.

    The Quartet which was established in 2006 also decided to develop a robust plan of action that will promote the training of filmmakers and other stakeholders in both the art and business of film making. The group also engaged in talks to ensure that Nigeria’s creative economy is fully integrated into the diversification agenda of the federal government.

  • NIOB seeks better professionalism in construction industry

    The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has reiterated the need for builders to hone and sharpen their skills in the core area of building production management. The body also called for the quick passage of the bill for the enforcement of the Nigerian National Building Code.

    The NIOB, arising from its 2017 Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) programme held across four locations of Lagos, Abuja, Katsina and Uyo, made the call in a communiqué it issued at the end of the workshop. The communique was signed by the Chairman, Professional Development and Practice Committee of NIOB, Mr. Kunle Awobodu.

    The workshop, themed: “Site Management Practices for Builders,” also had as sub themes: “Concept of Site Management;” “Construction Methodology;” and “Construction Programming using Primavera 6.”

    The NIOB, noted in the communique obtained by The Nation, that government should take steps against such environmentally unacceptable characters manifesting in the form of social miscreants, land grabbers, the “omo onile” menace as these were already affecting the delivery time of projects.

    The NIOB commended the Lagos state government for its proactiveness in this aspect, urging other states to emulate the gesture.

    While admonishing its members on ensuring proper construction layout to avoid fatalities, accidents, waste and double-handling at sites, it recommended that construction site layouts should be well defined and designed at the commencement of a building construction project by a registered builder. It urged the public to take advantage of temporary site layout planning for building construction works as rendered by builders.

    The body noted that collapsed buildings were as a result of unrealistic and unprofessionally projected timeframes.

    The communique read in part: “Nigerian public and private clients are enjoined and required to embrace the use of Construction Methodology Document duly prepared by registered builders for their building construction works. Registered builders are equally enjoined to prepare this critical document on all their building projects for all public and private entities.”

    Furthermore, stakeholders at the workshop submitted that “while the construction methodology is a precursor to the preparation of construction programme, a construction programme has implication on time, cost, resource deployment, safety and even the legal status of a project. Some collapsed buildings are attributable to unrealistic and unprofessionally projected time frames. Consequently, the Workshop enjoins all public and private sectors procuring and executing entities to request for and use Construction Programme duly prepared by registered builders for time and other resource management.”

    The communique submitted that poor project record keeping affects future projections of projects. Additionally, poor house-keeping (project site cleaning) can lead to avoidable hazards on project sites. Consequently, there should be proper record keeping of different activities during and after the life span of a project. Proper house- keeping should be planned and cost into the project as routine practices and should start as soon as the building project starts. Builders should enhance these best practices on their projects while clients should play their roles accordingly.

    Participants at the workshop were taken through first principles, real life case studies and simulations.

  • Telecom masts, towers constitute no health hazards — NCC

    Telecom masts, towers constitute no health hazards — NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says there is no health issue surrounding telecom masts and towers mounted anywhere in the country.

    The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said this in a statement issued at the ongoing 2017 Enugu International Trade Fair on Monday.

    Danbatta said that such belief and claim were mere imagination and myth, adding, “it has no scientific base”.

    “There are some individuals who still believe that telecom masts and towers constitute health hazards to humans.

    “The commission still maintains that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has affirmed that no result of any such hazard has been established against base stations.

    “Therefore, any individual or community adducing such reasons to deny right of way to the telecom companies, and prevent them from expanding services are invariably contributing to the poor quality of service in the network,’’ he said.

    Danbatta said that NCC had been on top of its game as the telecom regulator had not done badly.

    “Recently, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) awarded a Platinum Score to the commission for exemplary performance as an agency of government.

    “This award is an encouragement to us and we will not rest on our oars in continuing to deliver on our mandate, especially as it concerns the consumer,’’ he said.

    The Enugu International Trade Fair, which is being supported by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, is organised to showcase Nigeria’s non-oil products.

    The exhibition, which is the 28th in the series is also providing opportunity for local and foreign businesses to explore and access commercially viable markets in the South-East.

    The theme of the fair, organised by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) is “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy”.

    The 10 days trade fair, which started on March 31, will end on April 10.

  • SON wants Nigerians to buy certified products

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Friday advised Nigerians to patronise only its certified products to enable them get value for their money.
    The organisation also promised to continue to flush out substandard products.
    Its Director-General, Dr Osita Aboloma, made the call at the SON Special Day at the ongoing 2017 Enugu International Trade Fair.
    “While we warn the public of the consequences of using substandard products, we equally call on them to patronise mainly SON certified products as products that give value for money,’’ he said.
    Aboloma appealed to entrepreneurs to subscribe to the SON mandatory conformity assessment scheme for the growth of their enterprise as well as their market share.
    On export drive, the SON boss said that the agency had been working hard to ensure that all local products and farm produce met prescribed international standard and calibration.
    “The issue of rejection of our products and produce anywhere in the world is gradually becoming a thing of the past as SON is poised to make Nigerian products and farm produce the number one preferred in terms of quality and quantity specification,’’ he said.
    Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, the President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), thanked SON for participating in the trade fair and for stimulating economic growth in the country.
    The Enugu International Trade Fair, which is being supported by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, is organised to showcase Nigeria’s non-oil products.
    The exhibition is also providing opportunity for local and foreign businesses to explore and access commercially viable markets in the South-East.
    The theme of the 28th edition of the fair, which will end on Monday, is: “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy”.

  • Newly-established Development Bank will boost Nigeria’s economy – ECCIMA

    The Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) says the newly-established  Development Bank of Nigeria will boost the real sector of Nigerian economy through long term funding.

    The President of ECCIMA, Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, made the statement while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the ongoing 2017 Enugu International Trade Fair.

    NAN reports  that aside appointing a new board and management, the Federal Government has given the bank an  initial capital base of one billion dollars.

    “For long, funding mismatch has been the bane of the real sector of our economy.

    “Using short term funds to finance long term projects is a disaster any day any time.

    “It is of essence that government policies in this direction, especially as it affects credit to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), should be made to work better by using the business associations as buffer for members that are genuinely in need of credit facilities to expand their business operations,’’ he said.

    He also lauded the Federal Government for appointing board and top management of the bank, headed by Mr Tony Okpanachi.

    Chime advocated a synergy between public and private sectors to eliminate factors affecting growth of SMEs, including  bureaucratic bottlenecks and extraneous regulations by government.

    “SMEs remain the bedrock of our productivity and output towards reviving the economy and stabilizing it,’’ he said.

    According to him, the ongoing trade fair is in line with the Federal Government’s diversification agenda as it provides a platform to showcase non-oil commodities with export potential.

    The chamber president said it provided an opportunity for local and foreign businesses to explore and access the commercially viable South-East market.

    The theme of the 28th  fair is “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy”.

    The fair will end on April 10.

     

  • ‘How to strengthen oil, gas industry’

    The Federal Government should reposition the oil and gas sector for growth by designing implemen-ting good policies, industry stakeholders have said.

    The stakeholders include the Chairman, Schlumberger in Africa, Mr. Sola Oyinlola, Head of Oil and Gas, Renaissance Capital, Ildar Davletshin and ExxonMobil Production Company President , Mr. Neil Duffin.

    The sector, according to them,  has suffered stunted growth due to problems of theft, pipeline vandalism and poor investments. The development, they said, has resulted in divestment of assets by International Oil Companies (IOCs) and  movement from onshore to offshore fields in order to survive.

    Oyinlola said the government can help solve the problems by providing a well articulated policy framework to guide operators in the industry. He said good policies were lacking in the sector, which also caused problems for the operators and the government.

    He said the laws and regulations guiding the industry were outdated and needed to be overhauled to encourage growth. He urged the Federal Government to implement policies that would spur growth in the sector.

    Oyinlola said: “The Muhammad Buhari led administration is trying to give direction to the sector by ensuring that operators play in line with the rules guiding the industry. We  are optimistic that the challenges in the industry would be tackled expeditiously to provide a new dynamic investment destination.”

    He said there were untapped opportunities in the sector despite the successes recorded by some of the operators. He then advised the government to formulate and implement policies that would enable operators maximise gains of investments and further achieve good profit margins.

    According to him, when good policies are in place, operators would execute projects, bring in new investors and spur the growth of the industry.

    Duffin said ExxonMobil was able to execute Erha North Phase II project because there were good policies in place. He said the project was a deepwater development located 60 miles offshore of Nigeria in 3,300 feet of water and four miles north of the Erha field.

    Duffin said: “Executing successful projects such as Erha North Phase 2 ahead of schedule and under budget results from ExxonMobil’s disciplined project management approach and expertise. It was as a result of a well implemented oil and gas policies. Based on this, we have been able to create additional shareholder value by optimising existing infrastructure, which reduces capital spending requirements and improves capital efficiency.”

    He said Erha North Phase II project has since 2006 delivered additional 165 million barrels of crude to Nigeria with a peak production of 65,000 barrels per day.

    Davletshin urged the government to use its mandate to implement the much-needed reforms in the oil and gas sector since the industry is the mainstay of the economy.

    “While it is unlikely that Nigeria will escape its dependence on the sector, there is clear potential for the country to strengthen its oil and gas industry and develop a more diversified and balanced economy, following the successful models of resource-rich countries such as Canada, Norway and Australia,” he said.

  • KADCCIMA: ‘38th edition of Kaduna International Trade Fair, a huge success’

    The Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) has described the 38th edition of the Kaduna International Trade Fair, which came to a close on Sunday, a huge success.

    Dr Muheeba Dankaka, President of the chamber, said at the closing ceremony in Kaduna that the chamber had achieved a lot in the past 10 days.

    About 600 exhibitors participated in the fair, which started on Feb. 24.

    Dankaka said: “I am confident to say that the trade fair has provided the needed linkage between innovators, inventors and investors.
    “It has also provided states and local producers the opportunity to showcase their products,” she said.

    She advised exhibitors to make good use of the contacts they had and create the needed business partnership to increase their productivity and sustainability.

    The KADCCIMA president said relevant stakeholders during the trade fair seminar and the business roundtable organized by the chamber had suggested that public private partnership remained relevant in bridging the infrastructural gap in the country.

    She added that the recommendations from the discussions would be put together and forwarded to relevant authorities for immediate action.

    She thanked security agencies for a good job throughout duration of the fair and promised that the 39th edition scheduled for February 24 to March 6, 2018 would be better.

    In his message, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai promised that the next edition would attract more foreign investors, adding that the government would do everything it could to make it worthwhile.

    The governor said that the state would tap from the annual trade fair to attract the needed foreign and local investments to the state.

    The governor was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Tourism, Dr Daniel Manzo.

     

  • Senate uncovers N10tr petroleum industry fraud

    •NNPC, independent marketers implicated

    The Senate said at the weekend it discovered a N10 trillion fraud allegedly perpetrated by officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2006 and last year.

    It said officials of the NNPC  connived with independent oil marketers and some others in the petroleum industry in the deal.

    Senate Joint Committee on Upstream and Downstream and Gas broke the news at a briefing in Abuja.

    Chairmen, Senate Committee on Petroleum (downstream) Kabiru Marafa, who spoke on behalf of the joint committee, said of the N10 trillion, NNPC is to account for N5.2 trillion it collected as subsidy from the Federal Government for importation of petroleum products, particularly  Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) between 2006 and 2016

    The amount, he said, was aside the 445,000 barrels of crude oil allocated to it on yearly basis for the country’s refineries for local consumption.

    Marafa (Zamfara Central) noted that records showed that during the period under investigation, “NNPC imported fuel into the country that was more than 40 per cent of local consumption apart from gross under-utilisation of the 445,000 barrels it collected for local refining for local consumption on yearly basis”.

    He said: “NNPC, being the custodian of crude oil resources of the nation, is responsible for 51 per cent of petroleum products importation into the country over the years aside the 445,000 crude allocations it gives itself on yearly basis for sales for local refining. It must account for the N5.2 trillion available records show that it has spent on subsidy on its own 51 per cent of petroleum products importation between 2006 and 2016 aside the N3.8 trillion spent on similar subsidy for independent marketers and about $1.5 billion yet to be accounted for by other key players in the industry,” he said.

    Marafa added that the committee also discovered another dimension of fraud in the industry through disappearance of PMS from storage leased by NNPC without any accountability and or return of the value of the stolen product.

    He said it was discovered that 100 million litres of PMS worth N14 billion was stolen by two different companies without sanction by the NNPC.

    Marafa said: “This committee has established the missing of 100 million litres of PMS from such storage arrangement. We expected NNPC to have taken action against the two companies that carried out the theft. But since it has not, we hereby order it to do so immediately, precisely within this week, failure of which we shall make the whole details known to the public.

    “All key players in the sector along with their collaborators who have taken the country for a ride during the period under review, must be brought to book through exhaustive investigation to be conducted soon because President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate leadership are very much interested in unmasking those behind the scam perpetrated during the Presidency of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and by extension, the present presidency.

    “President Buhari is highly supportive of this move by the Senate and we shall not fail in carrying out the needed holistic investigation on obvious sharp practices in the sector. Needed documents for the onerous task are already in our possession.”

    The committee listed those to appear before it for further hearing as past and present chief executives of NNPC, their counterparts from the independent marketers, licensed inspection agency, Nigeria Ports Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Customs Service and NIMASA.

    Marafa said the whistle-blower approach being adopted by the Federal Government in unravelling fraudulent practices of corrupt public officials would be adopted in fishing out those involved in the massive oil sector fraud.

    The joint committee chairman warned that sanctions await players in the sector who might want to frustrate the investigation by deliberately refusing to honour invitation sent to them or concealing needed information.

  • Retooling the aviation industry

    SIR; Nigerian aviation industry has come a long way, but a situation where in the last 27 years about 25 airlines have gone under calls for concern. Also in a situation where in a country of 180 million persons, you can’t find five airlines with five serviceable aircraft each is a big disservice to Nigeria.

    Definitely, without the aviation industry, most of our elites can’t travel 12 hours by road from Lagos-Abuja. The irony of it all is that more than 50% of airline owners can’t manage a road transportation business, talk less of running an airline. This ego issue of I own an airline is making most big men  jump into the industry without adequate feasibility studies. Investors should set ego aside come together (local and foreign) to set up a well-capitalized airline company.

    In the last one year alone we’ve had crises in Aero Contractors, First Nation and of recent Arik Air; ironically these are the three biggest airlines in Nigeria, which shows something is amiss. Scarcity of FOREX is not helping matters at all. I am sure that’s why Arik still has 19 of its aircraft overseas and if industry players are starved of FOREX air crashes may happen more often.

    Arik should consider selling 40% stake to a foreign partner then list its shares in the Nigerian bourse to raise capital. However, government should not fold its arms and watch but should set up a committee to look into the issue. The players have been complaining of multiple taxation and advocating for forex concession, zero tax for spare parts. The government should immediately look into them.

    I suggest that government supply them forex at not more than N250 to the US dollar. Government should also set up an advisory department in the Ministry of Aviation to advise would-be airline companies on the types of aircraft to use for local flights; set up an aviation leasing company to lease aircraft to players as most airlines are finding it difficult to lease aircrafts and set up an aircraft maintenance firm to help conserve forex. The government should ensure that airline owners maintain one aircraft type until their fleet size go beyond 10 aircraft for easy maintenance and ensure that all banks have aviation desk and set aside five percent of loan portfolio annually for the industry. The government should also provide N25billion soft fund annually to the industry at below 10% interest and subsidize the cost of buying an aircraft by 30-40%.

    However, it is not right to blame government totally for the crisis because, few years ago about N200billion was set aside by CBN as soft loan to the industry. Did the players that accessed the fund utilize it well? Were the funds diverted? A committee should look into this. Is money the problem of the industry or commitment/strategy?

     

    • David Atta,

            Abuja.

  • Ekweremadu seeks chambers of commerce support to end recession

    Ekweremadu seeks chambers of commerce support to end recession

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Thursday asked the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture in the country to look inwards and come out with innovations that will help move the country out of economic recession.

    Ekweremadu expressed the readiness of the National Assembly to provide adequate legislative structure to move the economy out of recession and help to ease the sufferings of Nigerians.

    A statement by the Special Adviser (media) to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu spoke when he received a delegation from the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, which was on a working visit to his Office at the National Assembly ahead of the forthcoming 28th Enugu International Trade Fair.

    Ekweremadu was quoted to have said that “the situation we have found ourselves now as a country is such that we are the only people who can save ourselves”.

    He emphasised the need for government agencies and the private sector to work together to diversify the nation’s economy to provide alternative sources of income other than oil.

    He said: “The 28th Enugu Trade Fair could not have come at a better time in the history of our country than now that we are in recession and most of our friends are turning their backs on us. Some are moving their industries and businesses out of Nigeria; and investors are no longer confident in our system.

    “So, this is time for all of us, particularly the various Chambers of Commerce to look inwards to be able to provide for ourselves those things, which we had expected others to provide or do for us”.

    Senator Ekweremadu said only economic diversification, propelled by fiscal federalism and initiatives by the various Chambers of Commerce could take the country out of the woods, permanently.

    Ekweremadu added: “Economic diversification is primarily about the areas the Chambers of Commerce focus on, namely, commerce, industry as well as mines and agriculture.

    “Every part of Nigeria has abundant mineral resources that can sustain each state and the development of the mines sector must be encouraged to boast non-oil revenues. That is also where fiscal federalism comes in so that we can stop bottle-feeding the states.

    “The agricultural sector and commerce also hold much potential for this country. Commerce is essentially what has given Nigeria an edge over others because while others focus on big businesses, we have small businesses all over Nigeria that are easily set up and employ small numbers but cumulatively massive numbers”.

    The Deputy President of the Senate also emphasised the need for government-private sector initiative to reboot the industrial sector to boost productivity, grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and generate employment “instead of spending scarce resources to import what could be manufactured in our country”.

    He assured that the National Assembly would look into the completion of the Enugu Trade Fair Complex as obtains in Lagos and Kaduna.

    Leader of the delegation and President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Ugochukwu Chime, said the successful hosting of the Enugu trade fair would go a long way to provide the needed buffer for the nation’s recessed economy, and engender growth and prosperity across board for Nigeria.

    Chime also commended the National Assembly, especially the Senate for its emphasis on made-in-Nigeria goods and urged the National Assembly to appropriate funds for the completion of the Enugu Trade Fair Complex.