The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Japan

  • Keshi rejects Japan

    Keshi rejects Japan

    • Says they wouldn’t benefit Eagles’ preparations
    • Sad he couldn’t secure friendly in Brazil

    Super Eagles’ chief coach, Stephen Keshi on Wednesday closed the door of a likely international friendly between Japan and Nigeria ahead of the matches of the Brazil 2014 World Cup tournament.

    Keshi stated that he would not in the short term accept a friendly game against Japan because the Japanese playing style and tactics are not akin to that of the three other countries in Group F comprising Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran and Argentina.

    “During the Brazil 2014 World Cup draw, someone introduced himself as the agent of the Japanese soccer federation seeking a friendly with Nigeria. I didn’t accept his proposal because their style and tactics does not conform with that of the teams in our group.

    “It will be difficult to get friendlies of my choice because most of the countries have pre World Cup plans sorted out before now.

    “However, if we don’t get the type of matches that I think suits us, then, we can consider the Japan friendly rather than remain idle.”

  • Japan to get Nigeria LNG cargo

    The LNG Enugu, with a capacity of about 143,000 cubic meters, is sailing to the Higashi-Ohgishima terminal south of Tokyo, according to transmissions captured by IHS Fairplay on Bloomberg.

    In a report by Bloomberg at the weekend, it disclosed that the vessel loaded the super cooled gas at Nigeria LNG Ltd.’s Bonny Island terminal and departed Nov. 13, the data show, without indicating the its arrival date in Japan.

    The Higashi-Ohgishima terminal, owned by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501), has a capacity of 14.28 million metric tons a year and receives long-term shipments from Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Australia, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Brunei and Russia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

    Tepco, as the company is known, is seeking to buy one spot shipment for January and two for February, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Asian LNG buyers typically import spot cargoes from December to March to meet peak heating and power demand during winter in the northern.

  • Japan to train Nigerian engineers on road rehabilitation

    Japan to train Nigerian engineers on road rehabilitation

    The Japanese government through its Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is to support the Federal Government in training Nigerian engineers on road rehabilitation.

    The Advisor of Operation for Supporting Japanese Small and Medium Enterprises Division, JICA, Mr Eiji Kubo, said this in Abuja last Monday when a delegation from the agency visited the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen.

    He said JICA was ready to involve more than 20 Nigerian engineers in a pioneer training, which expected to commence in the second quarter of 2014.

    “The training will give the engineers more knowledge about the use of modern technologies, such as the introduction of non-destructive testing method for road construction.

    “Our main goal is to establish basic database on the condition of incidental concrete structures on roads in Abuja, using data obtained by concrete tester so that the recipient government can conduct systematic management for civil engineering structure in the future,’’ Kubo said.

    He also pledged the agency’s support in other sectors of the Nigerian economy if given the opportunity.

    In his remark, the minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, restated the government’s continued support for organisations willing to enhance programmes in road development.

    “As part of government’s transformation agenda for the road sector, we are willing to key into more reform programmes both locally and internationally,’’ he said.

  • FIFA wants Argentina, Uruguay to host Centenary World Cup

    FIFA wants the centenary World Cup in 2030 to be jointly staged by Uruguay and Argentina, who met in the final of the inaugural tournament, Argentine Football Association President, Julio Grondona, said on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in 1930, Uruguay, the then double Olympic champions, beat Argentina 4-2 in the showpiece match at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo in front of more than 80,000 enthusiastic soccer fans.

    “FIFA wishes to celebrate the World Cup’s 100 years in Argentina and Uruguay, I can confirm that,” said Grondona, the Senior Vice-President of world soccer’s governing body.

    “An agreement has been signed by the two associations (AFA and Uruguay’s AUF). What will we do? We’ll see but surely something of quality,” Grondona told Argentina’s Radio 10.

    The only co-hosted World Cup finals so far were organised by Japan and South Korea in 2002.

    Any future joint bid must have one organising committee, unlike the 2002 Asian World Cup which had separate Japanese and Korean committees.

    The 2014 FIFA World Cup will take place in Brazil.

    Russia won the vote for the 2018 tournament and Qatar, a tiny nation with no soccer pedigree and extremely high temperatures in mid-year, was controversially chosen to stage the 2022 tournament.

    A joint Argentine-Uruguayan bid for 2030 is backed by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).

    Uruguay’s Tourism and Sports Ministry formally approached FIFA’s President Sepp Blatter at the start of the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa to propose the joint bid.

    Blatter has since said on several occasions, especially during visits to Latin America, that he liked the idea of the centenary tournament being held by Uruguay and Argentina.

    However, the voting system has changed since controversy surrounded the decision to award the finals to Russia and Qatar.

    The 24-man executive committee had voted on bids until last year but now the 209-member FIFA Congress will decide which countries host future World Cup tournaments.

  • Japan donates water equipment

    The Japan Interna-tional Corporation Agency (JICA) has donated a grant – in – aid water equipment to Bauchi and Katsina states to increase access to potable water supply.

    The equipment will improve access to potable water supply and delivery to those living in the rural areas in the states.

    No fewer than 50 million people are expected to benefit from the construction of a new 150 water supply stations in the states.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, made the disclosure at the weekend in Abuja when she received representatives of JICA.

    The team was led by Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji, who expressed interest in the transfer of technology with the country to boost access to potable water.

    Ochekpe explained the Federal Government collaborated with the Japanese government through seeking of grants – in – aid partnership.

    This, she said, was to “improve system coordination for the control of water-borne diseases that undermine child survival development.”

    Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, thanked the Japanese agency for the aid.

    He pleaded with the agency to assist the state in the installation of the equipment for better usage.

     

  • Ghana, Nigeria, Japan lead global equities rally

    African equities have been the most resurgent so far this year as investors in Ghana and Nigeria scooped above-average returns on the back of increased domestic participation and stable foreign inflows.

    Year-to-date analysis of global equities’ returns showed that average return by Nigerian equities was nearly twice that of equities in United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK). The analysis was based on opening data for Friday, May 10 tracked by FSDH Merchant Bank.

    The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) All Share Index (GSE ASI), which serves as benchmark for the Ghanaian stock market, indicated the highest return of 53.30 per cent. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 Index recorded average return of 36.52 per cent. Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)’s benchmark index, the All Share Index (ASI), opened last Friday with a return of 27.43 per cent.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S & P 500 Index, which benchmark the USA market, returned 15.10 per cent and 14.06 per cent respectively. The FTSE 100 Index, which mirrors the UK stock market, recorded average return of 11.78 per cent.

    Turnover on the NSE last week stood at 1.69 billion shares worth of N21.39 billion in 28,392 deals. Financial services sector dominated the activities chart with a turnover of 1.31 billion shares valued at N12.17 billion traded in 15,796 deals. Banking subsector accounted for turnover of 917.182 million shares worth N8.53 billion in 11,236 deals.

    The ASI rallied 2.57 per cent to hit a high of 36,010.28 points while aggregate market capita-lisation of all equities rose correspondingly by 2.57 per cent to close at N11.513 trillion.

    Meanwhile, the rights issue of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) has opened following approval-in-principle by the Quotations Committee of the NSE. Transcorp is issuing about 12.91 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N1 per share. The right issue is expected to close on May 31, 2013.

     

  • Japan boosts child survival in Nigeria

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has received a grant of about N443 million for the prevention of infectious child diseases in Nigeria. Donated by the Government of Japan, the grant was meant to strengthen routine immunisation, including the cold chain system.

    Although Nigeria is making progress in reducing high child mortality rates, persisting challenges need to be addressed if Nigeria is to achieve the health-related MDGs. Childhood killer diseases are still rampant, though preventable. The level of child mortality can be reduced with simple interventions such as immunisation and other child survival interventions delivered in an integrated manner.

    This year’s contribution from the Government of Japan will be used to procure cold chain equipment such as solar refrigerators to fill existing gaps. This will boost routine immunisation efforts as well as the drive toward polio eradication, especially in the context of introduction of new vaccines.

    In addition, the grant will support the operational cost of strategies to reduce the number of un-immunised children. A strong routine immunisation system is a major foundation for polio eradication and must be on the agenda of all development partners.

    “Japan’s grant to Nigeria to combat infectious diseases in children has been a significant contribution to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce child mortality. This included the expansion of the cold chain system to the health facility level; malaria control programmes; as well as a final push to stop the transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria.

    The support from Japan remains a most valuable contribution to our joint efforts to give every Nigerian child a fighting chance to survive,” said Mr. Jacques Boyer, Deputy Representative and Officer in Charge, UNICEF Nigeria.

    Since 2000, the Government of Japan has been a major donor in support of child survival interventions in general and infectious diseases prevention in children in Nigeria in particular, through the UNICEF/Federal Government of Nigeria Programme of Cooperation.

    “The people of Japan remain committed to the welfare of Nigerian children,” Mr Ryuichi Shoji Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Nigeria said.

    Continuing, he said: “Over 13 years, we have worked with Nigeria and supported the country’s efforts to achieve the MDGs. We will continue to take actions to help Nigeria consolidate and sustain gains made in child survival.”

  • Cost of war between China and Japan

    Global economists are keeping their eyes glued to the Asia-Pacific region, where a bitter feud is brewing between two of the world’s most powerful nations over a small collectivity of islands in the East China Sea.

    The Chinese government argues that a treaty signed during the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) conferred ownership of the islands to China while Japan has long disputed these claims, and today argues that the islands are integral to its national identity.

    The argument came to a head last September, when a boycott of Japanese products led Chinese demonstrators to target fellow citizens who owned Japanese cars. Three months later, the situation escalated when when Japanese jets confronted a Chinese plane flying over the islands; no shots were fired, but the act of antagonism has set a troubling precedent between the military forces of both nations.

    What is the economic implication  of  a war between China and Japan if the crisis persist? Click the link below for a perspective on the issue.

    http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/economic-war-between-china-japan

  • Japan gets new PM

    Japan gets new PM

    Conservative former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has been voted in as Japan’s new leader by the country’s MPs, after his party’s crushing poll victory earlier this month.

    Mr. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner have a two-thirds majority in the lower house, BBC reports.

    The governing Democratic Party (DPJ) suffered major losses in the poll, with leader Yoshihiko Noda stepping down.

    Mr. Abe, who was prime minister in 2006-07, has pledged to take a tough line in a territorial row with China.

    China has urged the new government to take “practical steps” to deal with the dispute over islands in the East China Sea.

    Mr. Abe, 58, has also called for Japan’s pacifist constitution to be revised and patriotic sentiment nurtured.

    Mr. Abe, whose father was foreign minister and grandfather prime minister, stepped down in 2007, citing ill health.

    The DPJ was elected on its promise to increase welfare spending and break ties between the bureaucracy and big business.

    But its failure to deliver on the economy and response to the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami lost it support.