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Tag: MoU

  • Development Bank, NIRSAL sign MoU on agricultural financing

    The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Plc and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at enhancing the flow of funding to the agricultural sector of the economy and its value chain.

    At the signing ceremony yesterday at the NIRSAL Headquarters in Abuja, DBN and NIRSAL committed to a strategic collaboration that will impact positively on agriculture and all the value chain players and thus help to address the concerns of financial institutions on the high risk of lending to the sector.

    Under the partnership, NIRSAL is expected to provide risk mitigating credit guarantees while DBN is expected to provide the funds for on lending to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the agricultural sub-sector and its value chain.

    Managing Director, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Plc, Mr. Tony Okpanachi said the partnership with NIRSAL was in line with the mandate of the bank to alleviate financial constraints faced by MSMEs by providing financing and partial credit guarantees to eligible financial intermediaries on a market -conforming and on a sustainable basis.

    According to him, MSMEs have the potential to achieve key macro-economic objectives of the Federal Government which include job creation, poverty alleviation, financial inclusion and development of technology among others.

    In his remarks, Managing Director, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc Mr. Aliyu Abdulhameed said the partnership would help NIRSAL to achieve its primary mandate of facilitating the flow of credit, finance and investments into agriculture and agribusiness.

    ‘’NIRSAL believes strategic collaborations with major stakeholders in the industry is pivotal to achieving defined and well-tailored objectives and results. It is in line with this view, that the partnership with Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) is structured. As development finance institutions, NIRSAL and DBN share a common goal of supporting investments that will catalyse sustainable economic growth, create more jobs and equip farmers with the capital needed to thrive in the agricultural sector,’’ Abdulhameed said.

    While DBN was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with World Bank, African Development Bank and other renowned International Development Finance Institutions to address the major financial constraints faced by MSMEs in Nigeria, NIRSAL was set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide the much needed risk management tool to enhance the flow of finance and investment in the agricultural value chain.

  • ICAN, Caleb Varsity sign MoU

    Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), under its Mutual Cooperative Agreement with Tertiary Institutions (MCATI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Accounting programme of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.

    Addressing workers, management and students of the university, ICAN President Mr Mohammadu Zakari, said the deal would allow 200-Level undergraduates to have 11 subjects exemption when writing the final ICAN examination.

    According to him, five foundation and six skill level subjects would be exempted for the students. This initiative, Zakari hopes, would deepen the quality of Accounting profession, and develop technical competence and ethical skills among students.

    Going down memory lane, Zakari said ICAN which started with 215 members, currently boasts 42,283, and 22,592 chartered accountants and associate accounting technicians respectively, an attestation to its ethically committed professionals who are making the institution proud nationwide.

    “ICAN members hold very important positions in Nigeria. Therefore, the MoU we are signing is essentially a collaboration between Caleb University and ICAN, whereby the former’s syllabus will be integrated in line with the approved syllabus of its regulatory agency-National Universities Commission.” he said.

    Further, he said the MoU would also improve dissemination of accounting knowledge to students  to improve their accounting experience.

    He added that it contains 16 subjects broken down into three levels namely: Foundation, Skilled and Professional levels.

    “The syllabus covers a wide range of knowledge which an accountant is likely to encounter in the accounting world and it has a global accounting qualification.”

    With the MoU, Zakari is optimistic that Caleb University now ranks as one of the best for training accountants.

    The institution’s Vice Chancellor Prof Daniel Ayandiji, said Caleb University has embarked on deliberate path in building strong academic team by employing best brains in the industry, such as immediate past president of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Prof  Teju Somorin and former Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria president, Prof Joseph Ajibola.

    Aina promised that Caleb University would fulfill its part of the bargain, adding that the institution trains its students both academically and professionally.

     

  • CORA/Arterial Network, firm sign MoU to boost creative industry capacities

    CORA/Arterial Network, firm sign MoU to boost creative industry capacities

    CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading full service commercial law firm, Ajumogobia & Okeke, for pro bono professional legal advisory services to Nigerian artists and creative industry entrepreneurs, under an initiative called Arterial Nigeria Enterprise Support Programme (ESP).

    Mr Odein Ajumogobia, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who signed on behalf of the law firm, expressed his firm’s excitement to partner CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria to provide the much needed legal backing and support for artists and creative entrepreneurs to succeed in their businesses.

    CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria, Chairperson Jahman Anikulapo, who signed the MoU on behalf of the Network, thanked the management of Ajumogobia & Okeke for the confidence reposed in CORA/Arterial Network and their recognition of the potentials of the creative industries. He assured the law firm that members of the CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria would utilise the opportunity judiciously.

    Subject to the terms of the MoU, Nigerian artists and creative entrepreneurs, who are members of CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria, will enjoy free legal advisory on their projects and business documentation.  These benefits will include pro bono general legal advisory services to CORA/Arterial Network’s members on Intellectual Property protection, advice in contract negotiations (exclusive of contract drafting), sponsorship, tours and agency. The law firm will also assist members, on pro bono basis, in trademark registration and protection, copyright notifications, brand protection and licensing. Members will be guided by the law firm, on pro bono basis, in the preparation of legal documents required for processing credit facilities with banks, especially the Bank of Industry’s facilities for the creative industries.

    These legal advisory services will be available for artists and creative entrepreneurs, who are members of CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria living and working in Lagos (and its environment), Abuja (and its environment) and Port Harcourt (and its environment).

    CORA/Arterial Network was represented at the formal execution of the MoU by Anikulapo; National Coordinator Ayodele Ganiu; Treasurer, Adesola Alamutu; Copyright Advocacy Group Leader Fola Martins and the secretariat’s intern Amaka Obioji.

    The event was witnessed by journalists from mainstream Nigerian media.

  • 75% Women deliver at home in Niger – Gov’s Wife

    75% Women deliver at home in Niger – Gov’s Wife

    The Wife of the Niger state Governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello has expressed dismay that only 25 per cent of the women in the state deliver their babies in the hospital.

    According to her, this has lead to high mortality among the women and newborns in the state.

    The Governor’s Wife bared her mind regarding the issue during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Niger state Governor, Raise Foundation and Roche Pharmaceuticals on cancer care in Minna, Niger state.

    She said that 153 infants out of 1000 die everyday in the state because most of the deliveries are handled by unskilled health attendants.

    “if 75 per cent of women are having deliveries at home without skilled attendants, one can only imagine the number of women who are dying in the state. ”

    Bello, who is the Founder of Raise Foundation, advocated that all hands should be on deck in reducing women and children mortality in the state, “I am advocating that state government, religious leaders and everyone should put hands together to improve the indices in the state. The women should be encouraged to go to the hospitals to have their babies. ”

    The MoU which is worth N400 billion is meant to proffer an end to end solution to cancer care in the state.

    The MOU targets one million cancer patients in five years out of which 20 diagnosed cases will be treated annually.

  • Rivers, Shell sign MoU on gas supply

    The Rivers State Government and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG,have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the distribution of gas to industries in the Greater Port Harcourt area and its environs.

    MoU sets out broad terms and conditions to guide co-operation between the two parties in the development of new gas distribution opportunities in the Greater Port Harcourt area and its environs, in addition to its existing gas distribution network in the State.

    “The agreement is key to government’s efforts aimed at boosting industrialisation in Rivers State,” said Richard Hart, Permanent Secretary,  Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, who signed for the government.

    He said: “We believe that the agreed terms in the MoU will lead to the signing of the “Build-Operate-Own-and Transfer” (BOOT) agreement early next year, so businesses can begin to reap the benefits of a steady source of energy.”

    SNG Managing Director, Ed Ubong, who also signed for hiscompany, said the partnership was an opportunity to further promote gas as a more reliable, cleaner and cost-effective alternative to liquid fuels in the Niger Delta.

    “Gas is the key to boosting industrialization. It is no coincidence that states that currently do well on internal revenue generation have also encouraged the use of gas to boost industrial output, which in turn provides employment and improved livelihood, Obong said, adding that SNG is grateful to the Rivers State government for the foresight and co-operation in signing  the MoU, and will reciprocate the gesture by taking every step to fulfill its obligations in the agreement.

    In his comment, Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor harped on the leadership role of Shell in the domestic gas market, saying, “for more than 50 years, Shell has been in the forefront of the campaign to develop and monetise Nigeria’s huge resources and it is good to see SNG continuing in the tradition to grow the domestic gas market and also help to improve lives and earnings in Rivers State.”

     

  • Urbanisation: Niger, UN-Habitat sign MoU

    An eight-man delegation from Niger State, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Isa Ladan, has paid a visit to United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) head office in Nairobi, Kenya.

    During the visit,  the delegation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UN-Habitat to implement the New Urban Agenda. The ceremony was witnessed by the Nigerian Ambassador to Kenya, Sheidu Omeiza Momoh.

    The parties agreed to foster cooperation through the following projects: a Niger State Urban Development Policy (based on the National Urban Development Policy); development of an integrated development plan for Minna and Suleja; development of a plan for a new smart town in Sutleja; provision of technical support to the state on various issues and development of a public space surrounding River Iku in Sutleja.

    “Today marks a very important milestone in the effort of my administration to lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the state and for creating compact, connected, socially inclusive and self-sustaining towns and cities, through this technical urban assistance programme between UN-Habitat and Niger State,” said Ladan.

    He extended his appreciation to UN-Habitat for securing a grant from the South Korean government to develop the state urban policy.

    In a statement, UN-Habitat Executive Director, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, noted that the new collaboration would ensure the opportunities available in Niger State in terms of land area, power generation, agriculture and proximity to the nation’s capital, Abuja, are maximised. She further commended the state for taking the lead in enacting a sub-national urban policy. She also highlighted the Federal Government’s support in helping to develop the “Africa Common Position on Habitat III”. Both speeches were followed by the signing ceremony at 11am (Nairobi time).

    Prior to the signing, the delegation made a detailed presentation where it expanded on its urban challenges and opportunities inviting UN-Habitat’s expertise to assist. Several bilateral meetings with the delegation were also held.

    The visit ended with the delegation visiting Nairobi County’s Ministry of Land & Urban Planning and the administration’s headquarters at Konza Techno City to learn from good practices in governance and smart city planning.

  • Firms sign MoU on agric tech expo in Osun

    A conglomerate, SIFAX Group of Companies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fesco Agalu Nigeria Enterprises Limited to organise the maiden International Agricultural Exhibition and Conference in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    Called Agrictech Nigeria Osun 2018, the event will be Nigeria’s first and largest exhibition and conference on agriculture, farm machineries, dairy, poultry, water technology, livestock equipment, agriculture processing technologies and environmental control.

    Both firms signed the MoU last weekend at the office of the Osun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security in Osogbo.

    The commissioner, Olakunle Ige, as well as the Coordinating Director of the ministry, Dr Olubukola Aluko; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Remi Kolapo and other top directors in the ministry attended the signing ceremony.

    The General Manager, Legal Services, Mr. Tunji Olusinde and the Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr Muyiwa Akande, represented SIFAX Group at the ceremony.

    Fesco Agalu’s Executive Director, Mr Yahaya Majeed, led the company’s team.

    Ige said the state government was excited that the international exhibition and conference was taking shape with the signing of the MoU.

    The commissioner added that Osun State would provide an enabling environment for the success of the event.

    Olusinde said the company’s policy to support agriculture as the country is diversifying from oil informed the company’s sponsorship of the event.

    He hailed the Rauf Aregbesola administration for taking agriculture to greater heights since its inception.

    “We are in this to make Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 a successful and world-class event,” Olusinde said.

    Yahaya hailed SIFAX Group for sponsoring the exhibition.

    He said Fesco Agalu noted that the company had the veritable platform to make Agritech Nigeria Osun 2018 a success.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • FITC, FAA of Malaysia sign MoU to train bankers

    The Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) of Malaysia to train Nigerian and African bankers. The pact, which was on Certified Training Professional (CTP) Programme, will enable FAA and FITC enhance the skills and knowledge of bankers within the continent.

    Managing Director/CEO, FITC, Lucy Newman, said the partnership, which is backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will enable both parties, facilitate and deliver impactful trainings that meet global best practices.

    She said that Nigerian banks are beginning to play in the global markets, hence the need to enhance the skills of bankers to meet  global standards.

    Newman said the partnership will give banks in foreign jurisdictions quality assurance on the competence of the Nigerian workforce. She said the backing of FAA on FITC courses is good for Nigerian banks playing in foreign countries.

    She said that FITC has trained over 60,000 participants in its professional programmes, 6,700 of them from the directorate level. According to her, FITC has a pool of over 450 resource persons from different parts of the world that provide the needed knowledge to participants in its courses.

    She said that FITC has also commenced the process of accrediting 15 of its core courses with the FAA while 10 of the courses are currently being assessed for accreditation by FAA.The remaining five will be accredited at the beginning of 2018.

    The courses to be accredited by FAA include Basic Credit Analysis, Intermediate Credit Analysis,              Advanced Credit Analysis, Problem Loans Management, Enterprise Risk Management among others.

    Director, Strategic Corporate Relations, FAA, Ulrika Brunner said that FAA is responsible for raising standards and quality of professional learning and development in the financial services industry.

    She explained that FAA is  creating highly skilled and internationally mobile professionals for the global financial services industry.

    The CTP courses are suitable for financial services industry practitioners, with successful participants  recognised as Certified Training Professionals, and will receive a certificate on completion of the course. There willalso be related follow up actions as part of the requirements for certificate.

  • LCCI, Japan’s trade body sign MoU

    LCCI, Japan’s trade body sign MoU

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) to enhance mutual trade agreements between the two countries organised private sector.

    The formal agreement will also promote trade relations and investments which will add economic value to both countries.

    LCCI president, Chief Nike Akande said the formal agreement was needed due to JETRO’s continuous support of the chambers activities and the benefits the body can do to  Nigerian entrepreneurs.

    She said this yesterday during the signing of the MOU at the ongoing Lagos International trade fair.

  • NiMet, IFAD sign MoU on food security

    NiMet, IFAD sign MoU on food security

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Fund for Agricultural Development on Climate Change Adaptation and Agri-Business Support Programme (IFAD-CASP).

    The pact is aimed at improving yields and reducing the risk of crop failure in seven northern states  that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

    The states are; Katsina, Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa.

    The agreement would also reduce the losses incurred by farmers in the states over the years as a result of climate change and weather uncertainties.

    Speaking on the agreement, the Director-General of NiMet, Professor Sani Mashi, said NiMet would assist the states in the  prediction of rainfall establishment, rainfall variability, dry spells and length of raining season for sustainable agriculture.

    “Development of crop calendars in line with the value chain crops adopted by the selected communities and training of Extension Workers, Climate Change Officers and Community development associations in the analysis and interpretation of the Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) in selected CASP States.”