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Tag: MAN

  • Aganga raises panels on auto policy

    Aganga raises panels on auto policy

    Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga has constituted two standing committees to ensure a seamless implementation of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).

    According to a statement by Mr Bello Rasheed, the Principal Executive Officer, Information, the committees are the Automotive Industry Policy Implementation and Monitoring Committee with members drawn from broad-based industry stakeholders.

    They include the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers/Assemblers Association, the Automobile Local Content Manufacturers Association (ALCMAN) and the Automotive Dealers Group of the National Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

    Others were the Nigeria Customs Service; the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; the Federal Ministry of Finance; the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

    The Implementation and Monitoring Committee are the Directorate of Road Traffic Administration (DRTA); Automobile Franchise Holders such as Mercedez Benz, Kia, Suzuki, CFAO, Toyota, Volvo, Globe Motors, Dana, Balyn Motors, Metropolitan Motors, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), among others.

    The statement names the second as the Inter-Agency Implementation Committee made up of representatives from relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including the Federal Ministries of Power, Solid Minerals and Finance.

    Others are the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Bank of Industry (BOI), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), SON, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), among others.

     

    The statement quoted the Director General of NAC, Mr Aminu Jalal, as saying that both committees were to meet quarterly to enable them to progressively monitor and evaluate the implementation stages of the policy.

    According to him, the quarterly meeting is also necessary to ensure that no steam is lost in the implementation momentum of the auto programme, which is a critical component of the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) under the Federal Government’s transformation agenda.

    Jalal analysed the rudiments of the five key elements of NAIDP as industrial infrastructure, skills development, standards, investment promotion and market development. (NAN)

  • MAN decries inadequate non-oil export

    MAN decries inadequate non-oil export

    Manufacturing Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group (MANEG), a lobby group within the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) has described as scandalous the growing deficit in the nation’s non-oil export, saying the Federal Government needs to step up its game.

    The body spoke through its chairman, Mr. Tunde Oyelola.

    In a statement tagged: ‘Way Forward on Non-Oil Export’ obtained exclusively by The Nation at the weekend, the group urged the government to take concrete measures aimed at turning the tide in the sector.

    While attempting a comparative analysis of the performance of the non-oil export from January – June 2013, it observed that non-oil exports for the period stood at about 1.52 billion US dollars; out of which, commodity exports was about 1.23 billion US dollars (81% of total non-oil exports), while manufacturing exports was 0.285 billion US dollars (19% of total non-oil exports).

    Considering the importance of the manufacturing sector to Nigerian economy, especially its contribution towards job creation, MAN Export Group said it was not satisfied with the performance of manufacturing exports in particular and the total non-oil exports.

    On the way forward, the group recommended to all stakeholders especially to the Federal Government and its MDAs for better performance of the sector in Nigeria foreign trade in the near future. Government, it stressed, “should support manufacturing exports in her Foreign Aid Policy by giving out made in Nigeria products rather than cash to countries that are getting Aid and Assistance from Nigeria,” adding: “This will benefit manufacturers, professional service providers and broaden the non-oil exports. It will also create awareness for Nigeria products and services in those countries, strengthen the business relationship between the countries and Nigeria, and will help create positive image of the country.”

    While decrying the menace of cloning and counterfeiting of manufactured products in the sub region by Asian countries with dire consequences for many Nigerian manufacturers who are losing export markets as a result, the MANEG urged the national as well as regional governments to protect the real owners of trademarks and brand names to ensure that their investments are secured and safe in the region.

    The group also urged to ensure effective administration of Export Expansion Grant, “Since that is the only functional incentive exporters relied on to cushion the effects of high cost of production and remained competitive in the export market. We still recommend that rather than embark on frequent review of the EEG scheme, government should work out a mechanism that ensures effective administration of the scheme and time for evaluation and review with all stakeholders.”

  • MAN adopts wait-and-see attitude to power reforms

    MAN adopts wait-and-see attitude to power reforms

    THE Manufacturers As sociation of Nigeria (MAN) will not assess the power sector reforms for now, its Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, Riginald Odiah, has said.

    He told The Nation that the body wanted to watch the situation as it unfolds before passing judgment on issues relating to the sector reforms.

    He said: ‘’As regard the issue of privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), it is a good development in the history of Nigeria’s energy sector. The idea is aimed at repositioning the sector for growth, and further prepare it to compete with others in the emerging economies.

    “Though we believe that the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is competent to regulate the sector and further make it work, we are still studying the situation. We want to see how the whole thing will play out before stating our position on the matter.’’

    Odiah further said the country was grouped into eight industrial clusters, out of which three were picked for citing of power plants after a careful appraisal of the developments in the country.

    He added the three clusters located in Ota/Abeokuta area of Ogun State have functional power plants generating about 550 mega watts in three of its eight delineated industrial clusters.

    Odiah said the Ota/Abeokuta axis was chosen because of its relatively huge concentration of industries.

    ‘’We were looking at areas with high concentration of industries and after necessary investigations, we arrived at a decision to choose Ota/ Abeokuta area. Besides, we discovered that the cost implication of having power plants is the area was not much, when compared with others. In the three industrial clusters located in the Ota/Abeokuta axis, we have three power plants with an output of 550 mega watts,” he added.

    The Federal Government has fixed next year for the privatisation of the National Independent Power Projects (NIPP). It is aimed at increasing electricity supply.

  • Man, 65, arrested for allegedly stealing petroleum products

    Man, 65, arrested for allegedly stealing petroleum products

    Operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism have arrested a 65-year-old man for stealing petroleum products belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at Idimagboro in Sagamu.

    The suspect, Salami Amodu, who claimed that he thought the stolen products were holy water, was arrested with Bruce Ekonen, Joseph Ofoeyeno, Francis Ode, Kola Ifatoye and Adeniyi Badebo.

    The operatives also recovered about 100 gallons of Premium motor spirit (PMS) allegedly pilfered.

    Speaking with The Nation at the police station, Amodu said: “I was on my way home when a man popularly known as Alfa stopped me. He promised to pay me N5,000 per trip if I could help him to carry 10 gallons of liquid. I thought it was water so I did not bother to ask since it was good business. It is possible that the water could be anointed since he was ready to pay as much as N5,000.

    “It was while we were on our way that I started to perceive the smell of fuel. I asked him and he told me that it was fuel. I was so annoyed and I shouted at him for not telling me in the first place what was in the gallons.

    “Initially, I wanted to stop the car and ask him to offload the fuel, but when I realised that we were almost close to his destination, I decided to continue.

    “I am aware that vandals normally pass through that route. That was why I was very angry with him.

    “In that area, people go for prayers. Clerics come to that area to buy holy water to perform miracle.

    “Most of the time when I am done with the day’s job, especially if I did not make much money, I would go down to the bush area to see if there is anyone who needs a lift.

    “I also ensure that I do not carry vandals because on one of those days when I used to help them, it landed me into trouble with security men.

    “Although there is money to make in the illegal business, the risk is much. This was why I stopped until Alfa deceived me into carrying fuel for him. I am very sorry.”

    Another suspect, Ofoeyeno, claimed that his duty was just to transport the stolen products from the bush to the buyers.

    He said: “Initially, I was buying directly from the NNPC staff close to the depot. Normally, NNPC staff would overload their trucks and sell the excess to us before preceding to offload the rest for the buyer. The place was however shut down when there was a fire outbreak.

    “I had no choice but to patronise these vandals. I am sorry and I wish NNPC will be allowing their truck drivers to carry excess.”

    Confirming the arrest, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the Task Force, Friday Ibadin, said: “Detectives led by Lagos Sector Commander, Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), laid an ambush and nabbed the suspected vandals.

    “It is worthy to remind Nigerians that ignorance is not an excuse. Both the seller and buyer of stolen products are liable.

    “The suspects will be arraigned in court at the end of investigation.”

  • Health care providers make case for quality services

    From left: Head of Department, Nautical Science, MAN Captain Ejikeme Okwu; Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi; Chief Executive Officer, Ports and Ships, Bolaji Akinola; former President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners Captain Adewale Ishola; and Director, Specialised Seafarers’ Training Centre, Captain Francis Kponu, at the event.

  • Manufacturers spend N24b yearly on plants maintenance

    Manufacturers spend N24b yearly on plants maintenance

    Two thousand and five hundred manufacturing companies spend N24billion yearly to maintain their generators, diesels and gas turbines, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said.

    Speaking at the Third WorldStage National Electricity Power Conference, the MAN’s President, Kola Jamodu said the firms spend an average of N1.950billion monthly.

    Jamodu, in a paper titled: Electricity power audit conducted on members of MAN in 2012, said the real sector operators spend a lot of money to provide alternative source of energy for their operations.

    He said more manufacturers were planning to relocate to neighbouring countries, such as Ghana and Togo, if the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) refused to give them some concessions.

    Jamodu, who was represented by Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, MAN, Reginald Odiah, said the number of power plants owned and installed in-house by manufacturers was 4,480 units.

    He said the plants include diesel/gas powered turbines, generators, among others.

    He said an in-house generator has capacity for 5,150 mega watts, while the supply from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria was 1,018 mega watts.

  • Man, 23, remanded for alleged theft of phones worth N86m

    A Lagos Magistrates’Court,Ikeja has ordered a 23-year-old man, Sunday Oladeji, to be remanded in prison custody.

    Magistrate Akinde ordered that the defendant should remain in prison custody pending when he is able to perfect his bail condition.

    The police arraigned Oladeji  before the court,  for allegedly stealing N86 million worth of phones belonging to Midcom Logistics Company.

    Oladeji is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, preferred against him by the police.

    The police prosecutor, Sergeant Chinalu Uwadione, alleged that the defendant conspired with  others at large, broke into a warehouse and stole various mobile phones, worth N86 million, belonging to the company.

    He said the incident occurred at the company premises in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Uwadione said the defendant and others at large committed the alleged offence on July 21, this year about 8am.

    The prosecutor said the offence is punishable under Section 409, 307 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

    However, when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Akinde, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.

    She adjourned the matter to October 22, this year, for mention.

     

     

  • Man, 40, arraigned for ‘raping’ teen

    A  40-year-old man, Ojetunde Odeniyi, was yesterday arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court in Osun State for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl.

    He allegedly committed the offence last month in Ede. The incident allegedly occurred around 10pm when the girl was returning home from an errand.

    Odeniyi pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.

    The defence counsel, Mr. Babafemi Akande, urged the court to grant the accused bail in liberal terms.

    The prosecutor, who did not oppose the bail application, urged the court to ensure that the residential addresses of the sureties are verified by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO).

    Magistrate Olusola Aluko granted Odeniyi N100,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

    The sureties should be resident in Osun and must provide three years’ tax clearance certificates and two passport photographs.

     

  • 50th Annual National Conference of MAN

    50th Annual National Conference of MAN

  • MAN, LCCI: fake products are threat to real sector

    MAN, LCCI: fake products are threat to real sector

    ‘There is a need to strengthen Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in its fight against the manufacture and importation of fake and substandard goods. Our government needs to also collaborate with the exporting countries to penalise their own people’

    The Organised Private Sector (OPS) has raised the alarm over the threat of fake and counterfeit products to the real sector.

    The prevalence of such products in the country, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said, was inimical to the sector’s growth.

    MAN and LCCI were reacting to the report of the Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting that businesses worldwide lose several billions of dollars yearly to fake and counterfeit products.

    Former Director-General, MAN, Mr Olayinka Akande, said the real sector was under siege as manufacturers were big victims of large-scale product adulteration, faking and counterfeitings.

    Manufacturers, he said, were also faced with the challenge of under-invoicing and evasion of duty payments.

    Akande said unfriendly countries were subsidising fake and counterfeit products that are dumped in Nigeria, thereby killing local initiatives, creating unemployment and increasing poverty level.

    He said: “With numerous natural endowments and export potentials which stand the nation out in the world as investors’destination of choice, the huge export potentials of the nation is far from being fully harnessed for the benefit of sustainable economic development.”

    Counterfeiting, he said, affected the market shares of the different business segments, adding that between 10 and 30 per cent of cosmetics, toiletries and packaged foods; and 20 and 30 per cent of electronic goods and computer peripherals, are involved.

    Between 40 and 50 per cent of engineering and automobile parts and 73 per cent of goods in the domestic market, especially textile and garment sector, are also affected.

    LCCI Director-General Mr Muda Yusuf said fake and counterfeit products in the country suffer from low ethics in the operating environment.

    He said faking and counterfeiting had become the “greatest challenges” for manufacturers.

    He asked for the implementation of a policy that will protect local manufacturers against imported sub-standard products.

    Yusuf called for an institution that will be dedicated to fighting economic crimes against the manufacturing sector rather than leaving things for manufacturers.

    He said:“There is a need to strengthen Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in its fight against the manufacture and importation of fake and substandard goods. Our government needs to also collaborate with the exporting countries to penalise their own people. We also need greater market intelligence in addition to tasking government on the need to support local industries to produce at low cost and competitively too.”

    Yusuf observed that low grade products thrived where consumers were more concerned with buying what they could afford and not necessarily the quality and standard of the item.

    The Commercial Director, Grand Oak Limited, Mr Fatai Odesile, said the challenge businesses, brand owners and regulators around the world were facing today was the counterfeiting of products.

    This growing global menace, he said, presents an enormous public health risk and challenge to premium brand owners, and even compromises the survival strategies of some businesses. Quoting SON sources, he said the nation was losing an average of N52billion yearly to fake and substandard products heightening worries among economic players in the country.

    Odesile said over 46,000 jobs were lost to faking, adulteration, sub-standard and counterfeiting in recent times.

    He tasked the government to curb the menace to save the economy.

    On how his company has fought counterfeiting, he said: “We have taken so many efforts in the past to curb this incidence of faking and these include on-Pack Promotion with free items such as branded souvenirs, products, innovative packaging and the deployment of information technology in product delivery and packaging. ‘’