The Nation Newspaper

Tag: multimillion

  • ABUAD, AfDB partner on multimillion industrial park

    The Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola has expressed confidence that the Industrial Park to be constructed by the institution with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) will change the economy of Ekiti State.

    Babalola spoke while playing host to a team of AfDB officials and other Nigerian commercial banks who are partnering with ABUAD to carry out the Industrial Park project.

    He said AfDB is supporting the project which he described as a “unique collaboration between the university and the industrial sector”.

    According to him, the Park, when completed, will turn Ekiti to a “reputable industrial belt in Nigeria”.

    Babalola expressed delight that the collaboration has shown that ABUAD has become an acceptable international brand and that what is happening in the university is being followed all over the world.

    He explained that this would be the first time AfDB would co-sponsor a project of that magnitude in a private university in its 54-year history.

    Coordinator of the Industrial Park project, Prof Adeyemi Aderoba, disclosed that 80 acres of land have been acquired for the park, adding that the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment had been conducted.

    The professor of Industrial Engineering said the university is developing drones and robotics to be moved to the Park which he said would have the best technology to aid commerce.

    The head of AfDB delegation, Ms. Sylvie Mhieu, said the visit was a follow-up to an earlier one in March to learn more and verify what they had read about the university.

    She explained that there was need to return again with a stronger team to continue the assessment and get a deeper understanding of ABUAD’s plan and how the AfDB could help achieve the goals with the support of Nigerian banks.

    On proposed grant to aid the project, Mhieu said: “The bank right now is looking at $40 million loan. The conditions are among the reasons we are here to thrash out the ABUAD team.

    “We are a development bank and you should expect that the conditions would be much better than those of the commercial banks.”

    On her assessment of ABUAD, Mhieu said: “Just like Chief Afe Babalola said, ABUAD does things differently.  It is not only a university; it is also a teaching hospital, it’s a farm and so on. ABUAD is a university that’s always thinking outside of the box and that is interesting.

    “We are impressed by the innovations and by the creativity and also that one of the high fives of the AfDB is improving life of Africans and the best way to do that is through education.”

  • Oyo Senator empowers constituents with multimillion naira tools

    Oyo Senator empowers constituents with multimillion naira tools

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information Communication Technology (ICT) Senator Abdulfatai Buhari representing Oyo North Senatorial district, has empowered 1500 persons comprising youths and artisans in his constituency.

    At the programme held in Saki, qualitative empowerment of the masses is far better than given them pittance.

    According to him: “It is my covenant to ably represent and do resoundingly well for my constituents through the intervention /constituency projects’ platform provided us by the National Assembly as representatives of the people, who knows the spots where shoes pinch the masses.”

    His words: “I will use every medium available to me as a Senator to bring dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of my people. In the next couple of years, issues of youth unemployment/empowerment and qualitative education of our pupils will be given priority in order to secure their future.

    Items distributed at the empowerment programme include 16 cars, 300 motorcycles, 273 sewing machines, 637 grinding machines, 142 generators, 25 deep freezer, 12 tricycles and 55 spraying well for farmers.

    Also, a space bus was donated to the Oke-Ogun chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ.

    While recounting his achievements since he assumed office, Buhari listed the roads projects as Ogbomoso-Oyo road, rehabilitation of Iseyin-Okeho road, as well as getting award letters for Otu/Ipapo road, Okeho Iganna road and Agunrege Irawo road.

    Others include  provision of wide area network for  Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, provision of tertiary virtual library  for schools of Nursing  and midwifery kishi, getting approval for school of  nursing  and midwifery kishi,  provision of  Knowledge access venue  (KAV) ICT  with chairs and table and other materials for  8 schools across the constituency.

    Buhari  also listed the provision  of free medical checkup with drugs worth millions of naira to over 10, 000  people of Oke-Ogun, training of over 10, 000 women and youth, N25,000  to 20 widows  and disbursement of  N25,000 bursary award to 20 indigents students of Oke-Ogun.

    Deputy Governor Chief Alake Adeyemo, who represented the governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, said the empowerment programme was unprecedented in the state.

    “We are proud to have you as our senator; you are projecting the image of our great party and the government. We are very proud of you. You are an intelligent and responsible Senator. I wish other people to emulate your gestures and passion towards their people.“

    The APC vice chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, who led other executive members of the party to the event, said ‘We in APC are happy that our senator is doing this at these moment when the economic situation is not friendly, you are making us proud and we pray that God will continue to bless you and take you to greater height.”

    Some of the beneficiaries, including chief Goke Oyetunji, and Chief Wale Arowomole, commended Buhari for his gesture.

    The event was attended by party leaders, commissioner nominee religious leaders, students and members of different community and association across the state.

  • Firm plans multimillion naira tomato project to empower farmers

    Firm plans multimillion naira tomato project to empower farmers

    Vegefresh Group, a top agro business conglomerate is building multimillion naira tomato processing factory at Imeko, Ogun State to support farmers to grow more high-value crops.

    Speaking in Lagos after receiving a delegation of chiefs from Imeko, led by Oba Benjamin Oyeditan-Olantie, the Group Chaiman, Prince Samuel Johnson Samuel, said the project which will also involve tomato cultivation in 3000 hectares, noted that out of the amount, contract farmers will be engaged to farm on 2000 hectares.

    By engaging the farmers, Samson said the company will protect them from losses as tomato is vulnerable to price shifts and external market factors.

    The effects, according to him, are hard felt with farmers losing so much in earnings, affecting the employment of hundreds of thousand people involved in production as small-scale producers were unable to cover costs of production.

    Given the structural changes within the sector, he noted it is clear that large numbers of farmers will never be able to effectively compete in the transformed market, adding that the company needs to  work with them to identify opportunities that will provide a higher income.

    In addition, the projects being implemented specifically target rural development as it promote new opportunities for trade, investment and rural economic prosperity by promoting agricultural diversification and off-farm employment for the area’s inhabitants.

    The company, he said  is prepared to assist farmers with access to input, including seed, fertiliser and know-how.

    Farmers, according to him, are facing serious logistical problems, and crops are often unable to make it to the market in time.

    According to him, storage facilities are insufficient, so they lose their harvest.

    To address this, he said his organisation is establishing a crushing  plant to help farmers process their  produce.

    The other plan, according to him, is to increase the land area under irrigation using available water resources.

    The plan is to increase investment in water storage and secure water sources.

    Samuel said the company needs to expand irrigation to cover the whole farm area instead of depending on rain-fed agriculture.

    He said Vegefresh had a major tomato processing plant in Bauchi State, which has not been functioning because of the activities of Boko Haram.

    To this end, he said the company decided to implement its South West development plan, pending when the activities of the insurgents will be brought under control.

    The Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Oyeditan-Olantie said the community is ready to support Vegefresh to promote economic diversification and competitiveness of the area.

    According to him, increasing the overall competitiveness of the sector through the project run, the  monarch noted, would transform smallholder production and marketing systems to boost productivity and incomes.

    He thanked the group for embarking on the project as it will help to  develop profitable agricultural product value chains and make farms more attractive to agribusi-ness in the value chain.

    If it pulls through, the project would have unleashed its own agrarian revolution — as well a modest green revolution throughout the community.

    Together with locals, the project is organising tomato-growing farmers into groups and will   taught them the basics of cropping, farm economics, tomato and tomato seedling production, business planning, and marketing.

    With the project’s assistance, participating farmers could increase their tomato yield.

    The increase yield will result in additional income for the participating farmers.

    In addition to increasing profits, the project will facilitate large, group quantity purchases of fertiliser, seeds, and other inputs, thus resulting in a more than decrease in the price.

  • Govt signs multimillion naira PR deal with US firm

    Govt signs multimillion naira PR deal with US firm

    The Federal Government has awarded a N275million yearly contract to a United States public relations firm to manage its image, especially relating to the failure to rescue the abducted Chibok school girls.

    Levick Strategic Communications was engaged to assist with a range of government affairs and public relations matters.

    The agreement is with effect from June 16, for an initial term of 12 months.

    The contract, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, was signed on the government’s behalf by the head of a government media out fit on June 13.

    According to the contract, professional fees for Levick staff will be billed at the rate of $100,000 per month (about N15,573,000).

    Levick is to engage Jared Genser of Perseus Strategies, “a lawyer in the international human rights and democracy community”, to assist in the firm’s objectives “to promote transparency, democracy and the rule of law throughout Nigeria”.

    The sub-contract to Genser will attract additional $25,000 per month (about N3.9million) and “will be passed through in its entirety Perseus Strategies”.

    Levick will bill travel-related expenses and meals to the government.

    “We estimate these to average $22,500.00 per professional per trip,” the firm said.

    Additionally, the government will pay a percentage of the fees upfront.

    “It is our policy to invoice our clients a flat 4.50 per cent of monthly fees to cover these costs,” Levick said.

    Fees for other services, such as paid media, video production and web development, will be borne by the government in addition to the fees for Levick staff.

    “Actual long-distance or conference calling charges incurred on behalf of the client will be billed separately, at cost,” the firm demanded.

    The government will also bear third-party vendor expenses, such as private newswire, outsourced printing, copy jobs, and significant costs for postage and handling.

    Levick is to begin work upon receipt of advance quarterly retainer and interest of 1.5 per cent will be charged on all balances outstanding over 30 days.

    Under scope of services, Levick is to provide government affairs and communications counsel with the primary objective of changing the international and local media narrative related to:

    the Government of Nigeria’s efforts to find and safely return the more than 200 girls abducted by the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram, in the Borno State of Nigeria;

    assisting the government’s efforts to mobilise international support in fighting Boko Haram as part of the greater global war on terror; and

    communicating the President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s past, present and future priority to foster transparency, democracy and the rule of law throughout Nigeria.

    The government also agreed to indemnify and hold Levick and its agents “harmless” with respect to any claims or actions for libel, slander, defamation, copyright infringement, idea misappropriation or invasion of privacy arising out of the firm’s consultation.

    It was agreed that work would begin upon Levick’s receipt of the signed agreement and initial payment.

    The funds are to be sent by cheque to Levick or by wire transfer to its banker, BB&T, Washington, DC, with account number 5156166334.