The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Local

  • New dawn for the local league

    Good old Onikan Stadium is still looking derelict. The management and members of the Ikorodu United FC Lagos tried to repair the edifice ahead of its Nigeria Premier League matches. But the repair works could not cover the fact that it had been long abandoned. There were still structural defects but Ikorodu FC’s management should be congratulated for bringing life to stadium. The scruffy dressing rooms have been cleaned. The sanitary systems are functional. There is hope that the place could be better as the matches hold weekly. The drainage has been dug but not tested because the rains are not here yet. Onikan Stadium’s pitch is notorious for its waterlogged conditions when it rains.

    In fact, I kept pinching myself at half time when I saw several sprinklers watering the pitch. It meant that there was sufficient water for the players and match officials to wash up and, perhaps, make a decent appearance at the post-match conferences like we see in most European matches.

    I like entering the stadium three hours before the kick-off. I like to capture the off-field details that people ignore. I want to see the level of security provided, especially at Onikan where urchins run amok when unchecked. Last Sunday was different. The Chief Security Officer of the stadium was truly in charge. He stopped early callers’ vehicles. He allowed you in after vetting the documents he saw. He wasn’t overzealous. He was courteous. This is commendable.

    The arrival of the two teams (Ikorodu United and Abia Warriors) was dramatic because they are not traditional teams with immense followership like Enyimba FC of Aba, Enugu Rangers FC, Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan etc.

    The players walked pass to the dressing rooms unheralded. The management of Abia Warriors didn’t help by hiding the fact that CHAN Eagles sensation Chisom Chikatara was still with the team. The fans would have stormed the stadium had they known that Chikatara would play. Nigerians love such stars, irrespective of the clubs that they play for. The thought of taking pictures and getting autographs is enough to motivate them to watch Chikatara live.

    Most journalists were stunned to see Chikatara in Abia Warriors’ line-up. He lived up to expectation. Credit must go the young but talented Ikorodu United boys who fought their visitors till the end of the game.

    In vain did I search for those bottled drinks and alcoholic beverages that brought out the beast in the yoyos in Onikan. Not a bottle. Instead, there were plastic water bottles with the sellers standing by to collect them once the contents have been guzzled. It simply means that such items will no longer serve as weapons for those vagabonds.

    The car park behind the state box wasn’t rowdy. Parking was orderly. It was quite nostalgic seeing ardent fans again. Many I had not seen since the 90s. Some took me by surprise from behind, covering my eyes and it was quite a difficult task knowing who it was. Once set free, the loud noise and backslapping told the story of how long ago we had seen. Many had died like I later found out. How time flies.

    Soon it was time to move towards the sitting areas since the teams and the referees were on the pitch loosening up for the thriller later in the day. I was appalled by the poor quality jersey worn by Abia Warriors players, knowing that their chairman Emeka Inyama dresses very well. In contrast, Ikorodu United’s shirts and pants showed clearly that the owners of the club were ready for business. So poor was the quality of Abia Warriors’ warm-up kits that it was difficult to spot Chikatara.

    Trust me, I asked Inyama why his team’s warm-up kits were of poor quality, reminding him of Sunday Oliseh’s jibes that such jerseys could give the players skin disease. Inyama laughed his hearts out, telling me that his kits for the season would be in the country the next Trust me, I asked Inyama why his team’s warm-up kits were of poor quality, reminding him of Sunday Oliseh’s jibes that such jerseys could give the players skin disease. Inyama laughed his hearts out, telling me that his kits for the season would be in the country the next Tuesday. I believed him.

    I felt out of place watching the game inside the state box. I had no choice because I was a guest of the LMC. But sitting there gave me the opportunity to see how Ikorodu United’s management would manage the small space.

    As the clock ticked closer to the kick-off, I noticed a surge of high profile Nigerians wearing replicas of Ikorodu United shirt. I was excited that many of these distinguished Nigerians came with their wives and kids – a forbidden thing in those troublesome times of the Nigerian league.

    I was bowled over when the chairman of the club stopped intruders from hijacking the seats in the state box. I shouted “thank God” when the chairman told everyone that those in the state box were gold card holders. I wasn’t shocked, given the successes recorded by GOTV, which incidentally was the crest on the shirts worn by Ikorodu United’s players.

    What the chairman’s revelation about gold cards told me was that all the seats had been paid for the whole season, albeit for Ikorodu United’s remaining 18 home games. It also meant that there were silver cards to be bought, if not already sold out for the state box extension down to the popular side, where the bronze card holders can watch the matches. Are you surprised? Certainly not. It meant that there are Nigerians who think that all that is practised in other climes can be perfected here if the owners of clubs have the political will to implement the new ideas.

    If Ikorodu United’s owners can use their clout to get their friends and business partners to buy up the tickets in all the three categories, the cheats at the gates who ruin the business, knowing how much clubs earn per match would go home hungry – that is if they are not caught when two fans meet to sit on one chair. A fake ticket holder would be in soup. It would also help the club checkmate all the fraud-gates within the stadium. I’m excited.

    Sitting at the state box didn’t stop me from doing my job. I walked around to see how the referees, the players and their officials interfaced before the match. I looked out for the match commissioner and was encouraged that he was a young man who did his runs before the game, during and after. Gone are the days of appointing tired people who dozed off during matches and relied on views from people around to for their warped reports in the event of any unsportsmanlike incident.

    All the rules for the game to hold were met. I saw retired FIFA badge referee Calistus Chuwkujekwu scribbling notes from where we sat at the State Box, doing his job as the independent referee assessor. I wasn’t surprised by Chukwujekwu’s conduct. We met at the back of the stadium. He didn’t fracternise with the two clubs’ officials nor did he announce himself as the assessor. It didn’t occur to me that that was the reason he was in the stadium until there was roar over the delay by the referee to sound his whistle when an Ikorodu United player was fouled.

    “Ade, I knew you would ask me my view on this incident. The referee was right to see if the tripped player would ride the tackle. The moment the referee knew that he had lost the control of the ball, he sounded the whistle,” Chuwkwujekwu said. I nodded in approval and a few people around us when I asked the question shook their heads in approval.

    As the game continued its ding dong no thanks to the fact that it was the first game of the season, I watched to see how the referee would conduct the match, using his linesmen and how he would protect them from the overzealous fans who would take advantage of the perimeter fencing around Onikan Stadium to intimidate them.

    The referee was brilliant. Again, I must commend Ikorodu United’s management for keeping some of the club’s officials in the black spots of Onikan Stadium to control irate fans. There was this incident where the linesman signalled rightly for a goal kick but the fans felt it was a corner kick decision. They ran towards the linesman but close to six Ikorodu United officials rushed to the spot to calm the fans and lead them back to their seats. They beckoned on the plain clothe security men who stayed there till the end of the game. Need I say that the security arrangement was water tight?

    But my star attraction of the day weren’t the 22 players and the six substitutes that played. It was not the match officials or the retinue of LMC chieftains at the Onikan Stadium. Nor was it the galaxy of journalists who watched the 1-1 draw game.

    Stand up and be counted little Tomisin Adewole, the seven-year-old, who awed me with his faultless understanding of the trend of the game. His comments after most incidents shocked me. I was shocked further when he did the right thing when a player missed a sitter. I couldn’t resist his sharp knowledge of the game. I engaged him and went home thinking.

    His English was top of the drawer. His receptive knowledge of the game was stunning. Tomisin spotted a Manchester United shirt number 7. And I asked him why?

    Tomisin said: “I wanted to wear this shirt. You can see that my brother has his (touching his brother, Tomilola, who wore shirt number 9 but was also engrossed in the game). Manchester United is my English team. But I support Real Madrid.”

    Tomisin’s, Tomilola’s and their elder brother’s presence at the Onikan Stadium last Sunday represents the new dawn of the domestic game. It is also in sync with the Buhari administration’s change mantra. Take a bow, Daddy Tomisin for having the courage to come to the stadium with your three young soldiers. I hope many would take a cue from the Adewoles and identify with the beautiful game.

    I felt fulfilled after the game. The players and officials hugged themselves while the fans walked out the stadium discussing the high points of the game with glee.

  • ‘Local oil firms worst hit by price crash’

    The global oil price crash affected Nigerian independent oil companies most, the Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru has said.

    Avuru spoke yesterday at the 13th Aret Adams Annual Lecture Series held in Lagos. Speaking on this year’s lecture themed: ‘Low Oil Prices: Challenges and Opportunities,’ he said  independent oil companies in the country were heavily impacted as they all borrowed to fund acquisitions and capital expenditure (capex) growth.

    He said many independents are now cash negative and yet need more investments for production increase in order to survive, adding that the average price of $60 per barrel was required for most companies to survive this year.

    “We need to embrace effective domestic utilisation of fossil fuels to survive, and because Nigeria is heavily dependent on oil to balance the economy, the drop in oil price was a huge blow to the country’s revenue,” Avuru said.

    The Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Clay Neff said Nigeria had the opportunity to improve its competitive position in the global oil and gas industry.

    He noted that in this current situation, the country should restore investors confidence by providing competition in the oil market, adding that the security of lives and properties, and control stability and speedy approval processes should also be institutionalised.

    The Chevron chief said the country should address its Joint Venture (JV) funding challenges and pay the arrears, adding that Nigeria had an attractive resource base.

  • ‘Forex restriction catalyst for local manufacturing’

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Foreign Exchange (forex) policy barring importers of certain items from accessing forex is a blessing in disguise, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Spectra Foods Ltd., Mr. Duro Kuteyi, has said.

    To him, it will serve as a catalyst to local manufacturers, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),

    Kuteyi, who spoke with The Nation, described the policy as a right step in addressing unbridled importation, which is one of the major challenges facing local manufacturing. He said the policy was an affirmation of the Federal Government’s readiness to promote the backward integration policy of encouraging local sourcing of raw materials hitherto imported into the country.

    “It is good for manufacturers. In the past, Nigeria was a dumping ground for imports. The dumping will definitely reduce. Like someone importing apple using scarce foreign exchange to import apple when we have fruits wasting away,” Kuteyi said, pointing out that the policy was a major stimulant for local productivity.

    According to him, the policy is a shot in the arm of local manufacturers, especially SMEs. “The policy is good for manufacturers, particularly SMEs, because it is directed at reducing imported finished goods. “It’s an opportunity for SMEs’ capacity expansion, as they have the chance of enjoying higher patronage with less competition from finished imported goods,” he said.

    The industrialist said prior to the introduction of the policy, imported commodities dominated the manufacturing and industrial landscape, posing a serious threat to locally- manufactured products. He said local products suffered lack of patronage, and could not stand competition with foreign products, considering consumers’ penchant for foreign goods.

    Kuteyi lamented:“We SMEs in Nigeria produce and find it difficult to sell in the market. Some supermarkets don’t take our goods because they have the belief that they make more profit bringing imported materials to sell on their shelves. If they take products from SMEs, it is as if they are rendering a favour.

    “But when they import, they pay in advance and display on their shelves. They don’t encourage SMEs to thrive in Nigeria. And this has affected SMEs in Nigeria to the point that they cannot even expand.These are the things that the new policy will solve.”

    Kuteyi, however, said the policy will not affect those who are genuinely importing raw materials for their factories. “When you look at the genuine manufacturers, who depend on imported raw materials, these are the ones that should enjoy forex allocation. Like those who are into the making of laminated bags, rolls for manufacturers. These are packaging materials for manufacturers,” he said.

    While reiterating that the forex policy would encourage SMEs, he said there is need to address other challenges militating against SMEs’ productivity, particularly inadequate funding. According to him, many SME owners find it extremely difficult to raise capital for purchasing requisite machineries.

    The industrialist, who insisted that under-funding remained the bane of SMEs, said there is need to ensure that SMEs, who engage in manufacturing, get approval to import their machineries. According to him, about 60 per cent of SMEs depend solely on local raw materials that need not be imported and as such, should be supported to finance their businesses.

    “If you look at the SMEs, a lot of them cannot raise money to import raw materials, they buy the raw materials from importers. This is a special case that Federal Government should look at,” he said, adding that Bank of Industry (BoI) can make recommendation for those SMEs they have given money to or have bought machineries for that depend on raw materials so that their banks can assist them in getting forex for their raw materials.

    Kuteyi, however, said the forex restriction has resulted in increase in prices. “It is either it reduces our profit or we also increase our prices to meet up with what the difficulty in getting forex has caused. For example, there is a company making carton for us but because they could not get access to forex, they reduced their production meaning that they reduced their staff. So, this is also affecting an average manufacturer,” he added.

  • Saving Nigerians from eye problem – CEO Bohus Biotech

    Saving Nigerians from eye problem – CEO Bohus Biotech

    [dropcap]C[/dropcap]hief Daniel Chuks Ogbonnaya is president and founder of Bohus Biotech AB, a Swedish biotechnology company. With a long history of developing and manufacturing hyaluronic acid raw material and products through the use of research, Ogbonnaya who has developed a wide range of pharmaceutical products used across five continents in eye surgeries, as well as anti-aging formula amongst others, spoke with David Lawal about his new eye clinic in Nigeria and factors responsible for the increase in blindness among children.

    Your company Bohus Biotech was established in Sweden in 1992, tell us about it.

    Before I founded Bohus Biotech in Sweden, I worked in a big company called Phamarcia. It was the biggest pharmaceutical and bio-technology company in that country and it was founded in Sweden in 1911. The company merged with the American pharmaceutical company, Upjohn in 1995. At that time, I was on Research and Development Session. Already, I was involved in a process whereby we will help sell the technology and eye products to Nigeria. But then, the idea did not materialise for one reason or the other – most likely, political. Later on, around 1999 or 1998, I was called by a friend from Germany, Professor Cock, who told me he had contacts in Nigeria and that the ruling party at the time, under President Obasanjo, wanted to do something for the grassroots. Naturally, we were very happy. Another Nigerian in Germany, one Prof. Anyanwu was also involved in that project. We met and they gave us the contact in Northern Nigeria, but unfortunately, the whole thing, as usual, ended in the sand.

    Why, if I may ask?

    To be honest with you, I don’t know. All of a sudden, the money was just not there. It was a lot of gigantic plans. The plans were perfect to get the doctors from Sweden and Germany. We were to be flying them around the country to help treat eye problems and give them medications, which was fantastic. As at that time, the population of cataracts sufferers was at 2.5 million. You can imagine, I am talking of 1999. Can one imagine where we are today, if there is any statistics on it. So after the failure of the project, I realised that somebody must do something. I started planning to maybe start from small scale; but at least to show to the people that we can do it.

    So now, 24 years after, you have finally established an eye clinic in Nigeria. What brought you home this time?

    I have been working on this for the past 5 years. We were trying to put up the complete eye clinic for cataracts operation and correcting eye defects, but the cost of putting up such project really caused the delay.

    Also, at a time, the Rotary Club in my town in Abia State was involved. They wanted to help but when I explained the cost implications amounting to about N3million, they pulled out because it was too high for them. Meanwhile, the clinic has always been my dream; to help people to see and not go blind. Then I concluded on my own to go ahead with it. Finally, the dream came through on the 6th of January, 2016. We were able to inaugurate the eye clinic, GOK Eye Centre in a town called Uzuakoli in Abia State.

    Talking about an eye clinic, why Abia State and not somewhere in the North, where eye diseases are predominant?

    I was born and raised in Abia State and that is the place I know best. That is where I got the idea from that, okay this is a problem in this part of the world. Besides, I have not travelled a lot in Nigeria. I usually come into Lagos and then to my home town.

     

    Before GOK Eye Centre in Abia, how else has Bohus Biotech impacted Nigerians?

    We established the daughter company here in Nigeria in 2010 and that is in Lagos. By then, we had two employees working with our help from Sweden to distribute our products nationwide; today we have about 15 covering 50% of the country. Meanwhile, the goal is to cover the whole of Nigeria and supply them with the products which will be used for treating eye diseases.

    What is your disposition to the need for political involvement before any major project can be implemented?

    I do not believe in political involvements because politics complicate things.

    Are you speaking from experience?

    Yes. Take for instance the project I just spoke about that was to take place under Obasanjo, that was a political involvement. The idea was that the PDP wanted to show the grassroots that they could do things for them.

    What’s your opinion on the increasing rate of eye problem among children?

    I think a lot of things are involved. Firstly, the environment in which we are living. This includes the weather; the sun, then the food we eat. Some diseases can be linked with diet. And these days, Nigerians are moving away from our local delicacies. Now, we want to copy the Europeans. You see people eating all sorted of imported foodstuffs. Of course, that really contributes to the increase of eye problems in this country.

    What habits do you think Nigerians engage in that can trigger eye problems?

    From the scientific point of view, there are claims that the Ozone layers are becoming thinner and thinner, and the more it gets thinner, the more it affects the eye. For example, in Australia, you have to make use of a Sun shade. Also, you have to swim with your clothes on. You don’t go around with bare body. Another thing I observe in this country is that people shave their hair? The hair is protective to you. God gave us to use to protect the skull from the heat of the Sun, but now everybody is shaving. The implication is that tomorrow they would suffer one diseases or the other and they will say it is my neighbour that wants to kill me, not knowing that they are the ones killing themselves. I mean, when you are talking of temperature of between 30 and 35C, the ground must be really cooking. So why should anyone be shaving their hair? It’s not good.

    Also, we should wear clothes that reflect the Sun and not the ones that absolve the Sun. It is very important. That’s something I usually forget as part of the factors contributing to it when you asked me. Also, watching the television.

    Watching television or closeness to the electronic set?

    I mean watching television, it does not matter the proximity. What matters is how long you stay watching it. Then exposure to computer screen. You can see that if you are on the computer for a long time, after a while you start blinking more, that’s because the eye is tired.

    Painfully more and more kids are exposed to computer games, television and computer…

    Ooh yes, you see more kids carrying Tablets, iPads, playing with it and then the parents are happy for giving the kids something, not knowing they are destroying them. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with those things but we should limit their usage and over-dependence on them. You can say okay, you watch television from this time to that time; not leave the kids to themselves.

    How do you think the use of preservatives affect us as a people?

    Of course, it does affect us. Any chemical that you pump into the body, it does not matter where, has a side effect. If you look at our eye-drop, it is preservative-free. Because we do not know what happens if you have preservatives in the eye-drop and somebody puts it in the eye in this part of the world and then is exposed to the heat. What could be the reactions?

    Sadly, you have not been to the North at all…

    Not for many years now. Before I left for Europe, I used to live in Kano, so I know very much about the North. I was in Jos, Plateau State; Zaria in Kaduna State, but I haven’t been there for some time now.

    A lot of things have changed

    Of course. It is my goal one of these days to travel up north, just to see what Kano looks like. It will definitely happen. In fact, I have not been to Abuja recently.

    Besides Abia State where you recently inaugurated the clinic, where else do you wish to move to next?

    Like I said earlier, I think somewhere in the North will be okay.

    Will it take almost same time as the first clinic?

    No, it won’t because from what we have done, we may get some hands to help us facilitate our building of subsequent clinics all over the nation.

    Finally, what’s your advice to Nigerians on how to manage their eyes? What kind food would you recommend?

    We should go back to nature. Meaning we eat those food stuffs that are our local foods. There are some fruits that are good for the eyes. Vegetable like okra is very good for the eye because it contains those elements that are good for the eyes. Then vegetables like pumpkin leaves have been tested to be good for the eyes. Finally, eat a lot of fruits; pawpaw, mango, oranges are very healthy both for the body and the eyes.

  • How to develop local economy, by Ooni

    How to develop local economy, by Ooni

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said there are many ways local resources can be used to develop economies of towns and communities to galvanise the larger economy.

    Ogunwusi, in a chat with The Nation, explained that he had begun activities to show how local resources could transform the economy of Ile-Ife through manufacturing of equipment and creation of services to empower locals and attract people to the ancient town.

    According to the monarch, he would use enough natural and human resources to create employment and promote local resources and talents.

    Explaining his three-prong approach, he said: “Socially, we need to bring modernity to our social activities to the level that they will attract people to Ife. We need to blend the two properly in our vision for the new Ife in the age of social media. We have been trying to work on that and we have not lost focus of the values of our tradition; we are not going to lose that.

    “We will blend it with the recent social norm and it will start from the area of social media; we will let people see things. The second one is the economic aspect of our development. I don’t talk the talk; I walk the talk.

    “To the glory of God, we are using the raw materials to make economic impact in the lives of youths, Ile-Ife, the state and nation.

    “We are blessed in this country with everything. We don’t need to go too far. There is nothing missing in Nigeria. Honestly, we should not be suffering. The country should not be a consuming nation but a productive economy. The dollar will come down naturally if we produce.

    “The third one is tradition. There are so many traditional values that I will propagate. Our generation does not even understand Yoruba. There are several children who don’t understand their language.

    “I want to bring the good old days back with empowerment programmes. I want to lead by example; I want to practise what I preach. In the palace now, we are building locally-made equipment – to process garri, cassava, groundnut oil, soya beans and soap. They have started working. We displayed those equipment here and the town is excited because things have continued to  unfold and crime rate is reducing. This throne is a call to service; it is a call to humanity. It is a call to uplift the people.”

    Ogunwusi is building a multi-billion naira resort in Ile-Ife.

  • Protecting local, foreign investors’ interests

    The new managers of the economy need to take another look at heavy fines given  to key private sector operators by regulatory bodies.

    This becomes crucial as the high cost of doing business in Nigeria is also a major challenge to both private sector operators and potential foreign investors.

    Therefore, the new managers of the economy need to act in earnest before local and foreign investors begin to see the trend as a deliberate ploy by government to shore up its revenue base as oil prices continue to fall in the global market.

    Before it gets out of hand, the Federal Government should be reminded that businesses left Lagos State in droves and relocated to other states and neighbouring countries when the state government, in the past, tried to increase its internally generated revenue by ensuring that operators in the private sector pay all manner of taxes and fines.

    The state had adopted this method when the Federal Government decided to withhold part of its monthly federal allocation over a disagreement on the creation of additional local governments (LGAs) by the state.

    The huge fines placed on minor infractions like traffic offences or major ones like failure to remit taxes due to the state caused some uproar at the time but the state insisted on having its way. Some companies had to move out of the state and that depleted state revenue earnings at that time.

    At the federal level, the consequence of ongoing rise in regulatory fines is bound to carry a bigger cost. The similarity in the condition of the finances of the Federal Government today and that of the Lagos State Government between 2004 and 2007 implies that the current spate of huge fines may not be mere coincidence.

    It may be a grave miscalculation for the Federal Government to believe it can duplicate the survival strategy adopted in Lagos State when the state’s monthly allocations were withheld by the Federal Government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo .

    Instead, Nigeria’s economic managers must recognise that burdensome regulatory environment is anathema to the emergence of a stronger private sector.

    Undoubtedly, businesses will only thrive in an environment where salutary regulatory controls are in place. But the parallel between the timing of huge fines on businesses by regulatory bodies and the experience of businesses in Lagos State about a decade ago brings to mind the suggestion that the fines may be an ingenious bid to survive the dispensation of tight fiscal policy and diminishing budgetary funding from the federal purse.

    The huge civil penalty of N100 million slammed on Coca-Cola Nigeria by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) in 2014 caught many unawares and set the stage for the current spate of huge fines. The penalty was seen as heavy-handed even by CPC standard.

    Since Nigerians were not informed whether Coca Cola Nigeria paid the hefty fine or not, it seems other regulatory bodies were emboldened by the development.

    Recently, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) fined Stanbic IBTC Bank N1 billion and requested that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) investigate the bank and KPMG Professional Services for “financial misstatements” in the lenders 2013 and 2014 accounts.

    The Council also suspended the registration of four directors of Stanbic IBTC and that of its audit engagement partner, KPMG Professional Services, until KPMG’s innocence is ascertained. The four directors suspended are Atedo Peterside, Sola David-Borha, Arthur Oginga and Dare Owei.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also imposed a N1.04 trillion fine on MTN Nigeria for failing to disconnect 5.2 million unregistered SIMs on its network. The CBN equally imposed a N4 billion fine on Skye Bank Plc; N1.87 billion fine on First Bank of Nigeria and N2.94 billion fine on United Bank for Africa for their alleged failure to comply with the regulator’s directive on Treasury Single Account (TSA). All the banks have paid the fines.

    Another major player in the private sector, Guinness Nigeria Plc, joined the rank of multinational victims of regulatory fines as it was fined N1 billion by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    Guinness Nigeria Plc said the alleged regulatory infraction relates, in part, to the destruction of expired raw material without the authority and supervision of NAFDAC.

    Diageo, owners of Guinness, said it did not fully understand the basis for the fine, nor the particular regulations infringed but was in talks with NAFDAC to resolve the matter.

    Curiously, a review of the NAFDAC Act shows that the highest penalty that it can charge for the infraction against Guinness Nigeria is N100, 000 per infringement.

    If this is so, does it then mean that Guinness Nigeria committed 10,000 infringements before NAFDAC decided to act? This is most unlikely. NAFDAC, like other regulatory agencies, must understand that multinational companies play by a different set of rules and except where the Chief Executive Officer is criminally inclined, they subscribe to a strict code of corporate governance.

    It is incontestable that the contribution of the private sector to the growth of the economy may be affected if regulators become overbearing and are left unchecked.

    Nigeria must avoid a situation whereby major business concerns that are engaged in legitimate dealings would begin to wonder who is next in line for huge sanctions by regulatory bodies.

     

    • Okoya, a former executive editor of Marketing Edge, lives in Lagos.

     

  • Local brand, global outlook

    Local brand, global outlook

    • In 16 countries and counting, Dangote Industries morphs into a great Nigerian multinational

    About a decade ago, Dangote Group was a large trading concern dealing in an assortment of commodities.

    Yes, it was a monopolistic shark exerting commanding control in its areas of business like rice, sugar, cement and whatever else it set its mind to import. It also enjoyed some sweetheart deals and waivers from a series of Nigerian governments.

    But all these will not detract a nit bit from the Midas of Aliko Dangote and his rampaging ambition to rule the world of commerce and industry.

    In 2006, Dangote decided to transform his huge trading outfit into a real sector business and in just nine years, Dangote Industries has become the largest manufacturing conglomerate in Africa with strong presence in 16 African countries.

    Just last week, the company opened its $600 million, 3.0 metric tonnes cement plant in Tanzania. This plant is reputed to be the largest in East and Central Africa.  It is also reported to be the largest single investment in Tanzania. The investment which comes with a 25-hectare jetty will provide employment to about 7000 people when fully operational.

    Apart from Nigeria, its home country and Tanzania, its most current plant, Dangote has major mining and manufacturing concerns in Cameroun, Zambia, South Africa, Congo Brazzavile, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal and Ghana.  According to reports, the firm is said to have already awarded contracts worth $4.34 billion for the construction of 11 new cement plants – ten in Africa and one in Nepal, Asia.

    The industrialist, who is also recorded as Africa’s richest man, considers cement production as strategic for the growth and development of Africa in a dual-pronged way — cement is most essential for construction while cement manufacturing is a huge source employment creation.

    Though his critics also think that with so much expansion across the continent, it would be expected that cement would be cheaper in his home country, Nigeria, the price of the commodity has nevertheless  reduced drastically in recent times to about N1500 per 50 kg bag (less than 1dollar) from an all-time high of about N3000 about two years ago.

    It is interesting to note that Dangote Industries has made bigger and more impactful investments in some of these African countries than long-established multinational corporations with colonial linkage had made in decades. It has therefore become more imperative that eventually, only Africans can catalyse the development of Africa.

    During the inauguration of the Tanzania plant, Aliko Dangote underscored this point when he noted that, “one of our key strengths lies in our ability to understand the peculiar needs of Africans and how to do business successfully on the continent.  That is why we made Africa the centerpiece of our multi-billion dollars investment. We believe that it is only Africans who can develop Africa. We are also motivated to create an African success story because we believe that entrepreneurship holds the key to the future economic growth of the continent.”

    There is no gainsaying that if Africa could by some alchemy, clone half a dozen more Dangotes, she would have no need to keep looking to the West for grants, aids and development support. He is also a challenge to other African leaders and money men, especially those who ship stolen money and  wealth acquired on African soil into vaults in the West for safe-keeping. Such funds help fuel the growth of already developed economies; when they are not lost entirely.

    The Dangote paradigm is commendable and worthy of emulation. Though many Nigerian banks and telecommunications firms have gone across the borders to the West coast and beyond, Dangote is unique in its sheer size, structure and specialization.

    It is indeed a worthy Nigerian brand gone global and spear-headed by an eminent Nigerian ambassador.

  • Smuggling killing local poultry industry, says PAN chief

    Smuggling killing local poultry industry, says PAN chief

    Local poultry producers are struggling to compete with smuggled cheap chicken, Chairman,Poutry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Oyo State chapter, Mr Banji Akanji, has said.

    He spoke at a workshop by state PAN at the Civic Centre, Ibadan.

    He urged the the government to ‘end chicken meat import, saying  it is undermining local production and could lead to the collapse of the local poultry sector.

    He condemned “the dumping of cheap imported poultry products, calling for steps to be taken to ‘create fair competition for the local poultry industry”.

    Though they are cheap, Akanji said, smuggled chicken had excessive antibiotic residue and chemicals that are unhealthy.

    He said solving the problem required a three-pronged approach:  diplomatic channels, international laws and providing security at the borders.

    He asked the government to enforce the regulations to deter smuggling. He challenged the association’s members to embrace mass production of broilers, saying this would bring benefits of economy of scale, help to meet local demand for poultry products.

    Akanji praised the Nigeria Customs Service men for intercepting and destroying smuggled poultry products in the state recently, saying it would send a strong signal to smugglers that smuggling would not be tolerated in any form.

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gabriel Kehinde, praised the Customs for effecting the ban on some poultry products and measures being put in place by PAN to rev up productivity, saying the government had been sensitising the public against patronising  smuggled poultry products.

    Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association of Nigerian (NVMA) in the state, Mr Ibrahim Adekunle, lauded the efforts of the association for its efforts to feed the country with poultry products as one of the most affordable sources of protein to Nigerians.

    A guest speakers at the workshop, Dr Jimoh Famoyin, said poultry farmers should ensure that they feed the public with hygienic and fresh poultry products, for all members of the public must be food safety conscious.

    Representative, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs O. Dosumu, said procedures for approval of poultry processing and packaging centres in the country.

    Among the registration procedures, she said, are certificate of incorporation; labeling information, including name of products, pack size, expiry date, manufacturing date, batch number, factory location; quality control mechanism; distribution chain and professional production manager. Comptroller in charge of Oyo and Osun command, Mr M. S. Bawa, described smuggling as an act of economic terrorism aimed at killing the Nigerian economy by enriching cartels behind the illicit behaviour.

  • Daikin Industries assures local manufacturing of air conditioners

    Daikin’s President, Middle East & Africa, Daikin Industries Limited, Mr Sano Ryoji, has said Nigeria is the most important market to its air conditioners brand in Africa.

    Speaking in Lagos, the firm’s chief said because of this, the company would soon start the manufacturing of the Japanese brand in Nigeria, adding that it might take off with the completely knockdown units (CKU).

    Ryoji said: “Nigeria’s energy consumption is central in the choice of an air conditioner. Closely related to the inverter advantage, is that Daikin air conditioners have built -in protection against unstable power supply and blackout. This eliminates the need for an AVS device or stabiliser. The built-in voltage protection makes it possible for Daikin to operate as low as 198V and as high as 264V, without compromising cooling comfort. (The standard voltage operating range is 220V-240V)

    The firm’s Middle East and Africa Regional Director, Mohammed Miraj Abass, said: “Outdoor air has many atmospheric and corrosive pollutants, such as dust, humidity, and rain, that damage the heat exchanger coils of air conditioners. To guard against damage to the heat exchanger coils, Daikin uses as standard, blue fin protection on the heat exchanger, with high anti-corrosion properties. This ensures optimal cooling performance in any location.’’

     

     

    On why the company’s air conditioners are better, Abass said: “The heart of any air conditioner is the compressor. Daikin air conditioners come with highly durable compressors with operating range up to 54 degrees centigrade ambient. The combination of highly resilient compressor and blue fin protection, means the cooling performance remains intact irrespective of the operating environment.”

    The brand, Abass said, takes indoor comfort seriously. Superior indoor air quality is guaranteed through the combination of filtration and mould proof operation, he said, adding that their customers should not be disturbed if they noticed the indoor unit fan still working after the unit has been switched off. “This is necessary for the unit to dry any residual condensation to avoid mould formation and subsequent odour,’’ he said.  He listed other features of the product to include turbo mode, and sleep mode.

    Daikin’s after-sales are provided by Panaserv Nigeria Limited, which has centres in major cities.

     

  • Local sugar production begins in 2016, says Council

    The Federal Government on has said the domestic production of sugar would take off from next year with an estimated initial output of 700,000 tons.

    Dr Latif Busari, the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), said this in an interview in Abuja.Busari said the projected take off output would be contributed by three private investors, Dangote, Bua and Flour Mill Sugar Companies.

    To this effect, he said the three companies had already signed separate agreements with the government for the execution of backward integration projects, which the council was monitoring.

    “The Savanah Sugar Company in Adamawa, which was acquired by the Dangote Group in 2002, has also given its commitment to commence production in 2016. Currently, they have expanded their field in Numan to about 7,000 hectares and they are planning to further expand it to 10,000 hectares by 2018 with an installed capacity of 100,000 tons.

    He explained that the sugar project owned by Flour Mill at Sunti, Niger State, will also begin operation by 2016 with an estimation of 50,000 ton per hectare sugar mill.

    Busari, who was appraising the sector since independence, noted that major achievements had been recorded, especially in the area of establishment of sugar refineries in the country. He said: “Twenty years ago, the Savanah Sugar Company and the Nigerian Sugar Company, which were the two major sugar companies in the country, were at a point of collapse.

    What happened between 1995 and 2005, ten years later, was mainly the establishment of refineries, first was the Dangote Sugar Refinery in 2000 followed by Bua refinery in 2006,’’ Busari said.