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  • PAN appeals to FG to adopt an egg a day strategy in IDPs’ diet

    PAN appeals to FG to adopt an egg a day strategy in IDPs’ diet

    The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to incorporate “an egg a day’’ strategy in its feeding programmes for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and primary schools.

    The Director-General of PAN, Dr Onallo Akpa, made the appeal, while briefing newsmen on the commemoration of the World Egg Day in Abuja on Friday.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Egg Day is celebrated globally every Oct. 13 to help raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their important role in life.

    The theme for this year’s edition is “Celebrate Eggs and It will Help Eliminate Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition’’.

    Read Also: Egg intake doesn’t cause heart attack – PAN

    Akpa said that adding eggs to the menu of IDPs and primary school pupils would facilitate the cognitive and mental development of children, while alleviating the issues of malnutrition.

    He also solicited the inclusion of eggs and its products in the feeding programmes put in place for soldiers on peacekeeping missions and inmates of Nigerian prisons.

    He said that the poultry industry had consistently contributed over 25 per cent of the agricultural sector’s input to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the national economy.

    Akpa underscored the need to develop the poultry industry because of the importance of poultry products, particularly eggs.

    “Eggs should be considered a priority food product that can be supplied to displaced persons at various locations or camps throughout the country.

    “To achieve the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the importance of poultry products, especially chicken and eggs, needs to be seriously considered.

    “Also, these poultry products contribute about 36.5 per cent of the protein intake of Nigerians,’’ he said.

    Mrs Sarah Abagai of the Department of Dietetics, National Hospital Abuja, said that eggs contained important nutrients like selenium, Vitamin A and E, folate, riboflavin, choline and lutein.

    Abagai said that eggs are the only source of accessible and easily affordable protein, adding that more researches had proved that eggs were not a cause of excessive cholesterol and heart disease in the body.

    “Now in the health sector, we are targeting the first 1,000 days of every child. We are trying to look at that as a critical window of opportunity to address malnutrition.

    “If you want to buy fish, one might cost N600, and if it is in kilogrammes; it costs between N1,000 and N1,300 per kilo; meat also costs about N1,300 and N1,400 per kilo.

    “A pregnant woman, who must not carry a stunted child, needs adequate protein from the time of pregnancy and this comes handy with `an egg a day’.

    “People need to disabuse their minds of the news floating around because more and more research findings are vindicating eggs from issues of cholesterol and heart diseases,’’ she said.

    The dietician, who noted that methods of consuming eggs depended on individual choices, said that excessive heating of oil during egg frying could be dangerous to the consumer.

    NAN reports that some of the farmers who spoke at the event complained of the high cost of producing eggs without any significant increase in egg prices.

  • Egg intake doesn’t cause heart attack – PAN

    Egg intake doesn’t cause heart attack – PAN

    The Director General of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Onallo Akpa has denied claims that egg consumption causes or increase chances of heart attack (cardiovascular disease).

    He said on the contrary, the right intake of egg builds human immune system and increases cognitive capability in children.

    Akpa, who spoke at the world press briefing to commemorate the World Egg Day, organized by the association, yesterday in Abuja, faulted the various claims, stressing that beyond other benefits, moderate consumption of egg helps the eye, the skin, bones as well as pregnant women and their unborn children.

    He argued that studies by the American Heart Association as well as Harvard School of Public Health further enlightened the public on the benefits and disapproved the erroneous claims.

    “Egg does not contribute to cardiovascular disease. Let’s not believe in those misconceptions.

    “In March, 2002, the American Heart Association guidelines were changed to allow 1 egg per day into the average healthy American diet thereby ending the association’s 30 years old campaign that limited egg consumption to 3 eggs per week,” Akpa said.

    He added that, “The Harvard School of Public Health, in the same light published that moderate egg consumption, which is defined as one egg per day is not associated with increased risk of heart disease and does not have a negative impact on cholesterol neither does it affect a person’s lipid profile.

    “The research finding suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.”

    However, he advised the Federal Government to direct the ministry of education on need to ensure school children benefitting from the federal government school feeding programme are fed with one egg per day, without unnecessary additional food item.

    Akpa emphasized the imperative of this advice, stressing the nutritional benefits of the children.

    “The nutrients and energy dimension of egg makes egg an excellent source of proteins and vitamins,” he added.

    In her remarks, a nutritionist from the National Hospital, Abuja, Department of Dietetics, Mrs. Sarah Abagai, expressed concerns on the unfavourable statistics of malnourished children in the country.

    She said as at January this year, about 11 million children were classified stunted as a result of protein deficiency.

    According to her, the statistics increased in July, 2017, revealing that in every three Nigerians, one is malnourished.

    She attributed this to low purchasing power and access to good protein sources.

    “The first 1000 days of a child from conception to delivery to about two years of age is very critical to a child upbringing. There is need to provide adequate nutrition at this stage,” Abagai added.

  • Kaduna, PAN, Verdant Zeal to host Innovention Roundtable

    The Verdant Zeal company will hold the first Innovention Round Table for SMEs and start-up entrepreneurs with the theme: “How Innovation Drives Entrepreneurship: the Case for SMEs and Start-Ups.

    Organised by Verdant Zeal, in partnership with the Kaduna State government and PAN Nigeria, the Innovention Round Table is propelled by the success achieved with the annual Innovention Series which has held since 2012, but with a renewed vision to impact key economic hubs across Nigeria.

    It will hold in Kaduna, on October 19, at the Umar Musa Yar’Adua Hall.

    Executive Vice Chairman of Verdant Zeal and event convener Dr. Tunji Olugbodi, noted that in the last six years, Verdant Zeal has convened the Innovention Series, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative instituted in 2012 to examine the development of Africa, discuss the Nigerian project and pinpoint opportunities for development and growth within the continent.

    The round table will be chaired by Chairman of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar; Governor Nasir El-Rufai is Special Guest and the keynote address will be delivered by the Managing Director, PAN Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi.

  • IPMAN partners pan, Access Bank on car acquisition

    IPMAN partners pan, Access Bank on car acquisition

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), yesterday partnered Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN)  and Access Banl in the Peugeot Car acquisition scheme for its members nationwide

    Speaking at the event  in Abuja, the National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, said the scheme is to help members acquire brand new cars in order to ease their mobility and improve their welfare.

    He said the scheme will create a level ground for the promotion and actualisation of made-in-Nigeria products thereby creating jobs for the youths.

    “These patronages for made-in-Nigeria products will create more jobs for the youths in Nigeria which will help reduce unemployment in the country,” he said.

    Also speaking, the Managing Director, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi, said Pan has been leading automobile plant in Nigeria for the past 45years.

    He said most of the auto technicians and mechanics we have, are either products of PAN, or made by PAN, adding that PAN is very conscious of that provision in  the market.

    “We are very proud of our products in terms of quality, performance, real efficiency and the operation cost of running. Our products are lower and the ownership cost is exceptional,” he said.

    He said with more patronage, PAN would create create more job opportunities for employment, investment which he said will help develop the Nigeria economy.

  • PAN targets low income earners

    PAN targets low income earners

    Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) is targeting low and medium income earners with loans to enable them purchase Peugeot cars and repay in instalments.

    To solidify the move, PAN, which is a leading automobile company in Nigeria, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on auto loan alliance with the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Abuja last week.

    The loan alliance will enable Nigerians who wish to buy Peugeot cars to do so on loan and repay monthly for the maximum of 60 months.

    PAN Managing Director Ibrahim Boyi, told his audience that Peugeot cars are a heritage of Nigerians as some of the cars purchased 30 years ago still ply the roads.

    “You can’t take Peugeot off the roads. Some cars produced 30 years ago still ply the roads in Nigeria. This is the quality; this is the heritage we are preaching,” he said.

    Stressing comfort, safety, quality and reliability of the cars as attested to by users over the years, he said the auto loan scheme was designed in partnership with the FCMB to give low income and medium income earners the opportunity to own brand new cars.

    “We offer yet another opportunity with the FCMB for our prospective customers to relive the legacy, heritage and experience of Peugeot cars,” Boyi said.

    He revealed that the loan facility is accessible at any FCMB branch or any accredited PAN dealer upon meeting the required criteria.

    “Our cars today are better. They are modern to meet the developments in the markets,” he told the gathering.

    The representative of the Group Managing Director of the FCMB, who is also the Regional Director, Abuja and North, Olajire Awofisibe, said the loan is an opportunity for Nigerians to own brand new cars instead of buying ‘tokumbo’ cars.

    He said the bank has so far granted over 400,000 Nigerians loans to empower themselves.

    He said the partnership with PAN is another move from the bank to better the lives of Nigerians who are yearning to own cars of their own.

    Encouraging Nigerians to key into the arrangement, he added that there are other repayment plans depending on the model of the vehicle desired and the cash flow of the customer.

    He revealed that the offer includes free vehicle registration, free tracking, three years free maintenance service and discounted free insurance premium.

    “Instead of buying fairly used motor vehicles, why don’t you go for new ones at even a better price?’’ he asked.

  • 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.

  • Access Bank, PAN sign vehicle finance MoU

    Access Bank Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) to make it easier for customers to buy new cars.

    The two firms said the programme, Access Bank/Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Scheme, would enable more aspiring customers acquire any of the Peugeot models available in the company and spread the payment over a specified period.

    The Executive Director, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, who was at the signing of the agreement in Lagos, said the process of acquiring the vehicles was easy.

    He said the scheme, which began  at the weekend, would last for one year while customers are expected to fully repay the loan within four years.

    Etokwu explained that to access the loan, aspiring car owners are expected to deposit 20 per cent upfront with 24 per cent interest rate, adding that the partnership was in support of the Federal Government’s automotive policy, which commenced in 2014.

    He maintained that the culture of the bank was to support mobility of people and hoped that with the partnership, more people would be able to purchase vehicles of their choice at affordable prices.

    “We are opportune to partner with the PAN because the company is one of the leading firms in the sector today while Access Bank too is among the top 15 banks on the continent in terms of assets. We want to build benefits for customers with our partnership,” he said.

    “Experts announced recently that over 90 per cent of the world’s resources would be concentrated and managed by about one per cent of the world populace by the end of 2016. We want to create value as an institution and we are both concerned about the welfare of the people. This scheme provides opportunity for people who do not have the resources to buy a car outright.”

    PAN Managing Director, Ibrahim Boyi, said the scheme was open to all customers, including those with or without functional account with the bank.

    He said both parties had cautiously designed the scheme to enable beneficiaries gain access to the system, declaring that this would make the cars to be affordable with long-term benefits to customers.

  • Kaduna partners PAN in youth empowerment

    Kaduna partners PAN in youth empowerment

    Kaduna State government has partnered PAN Nigeria Limited in the area of youth empowerment.

    The state governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai said this when the board of PAN Nigeria Limited paid him a visit at his office.

    The governor informed the team that his administration is committed to the development of the youth through skills acquisition programmes, and explained that the state is currently partnering capacity building organisations, such as PAN Learning Center (PLC) to train youths in automotive repair skills.

    The governor, who was represented by the state Chief of Staff, Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman, said government will help in the advocacy for the legislation of the new automotive policy introduced last year by the Federal Government to ensure its sustenance and positive impact to the Nigerian auto industry.

    He promised that the state would patronise Peugeot products as long as the products are competitive in terms of cost effectiveness and superior value for money which are part of the principles of the new administration’s policy.Earlier in his speech, PAN Nigeria Limited Managing Director Alhaji Ibrahim, took time to reel out the history of PAN, its status then and now in the Nigeria’s auto market

    Boyi said it was painful to see the company that was thriving as the leading indigenous auto company both in terms of sales and employment opportunities, now strives to regain its position.

    The implication of which according to the him, led to privatisation and so many job cuts from the initial over 4,000 workforce in the early 80s, to about 300 now on its payroll.

  • Poultry farmers hail school feeding

    The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has hailed the Osun and Kano state governments for implementing the school feeding programme in  public primary and secondary schools.

    PAN said it would ensure that school feeding programme was made a national policy in line with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme recommendation.

    The Director – General of PAN, Onallo Akpa, said this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at the opening  of the  Nigeria Poultry Show.

    Akpa said the school feeding policy, if implemented, would not only help educational development, but also create more jobs and wealth for farmers.

    He urged stakeholders to  protest the use of the country as a dumping ground for poultry products.

    “We can produce these products at home and provide more healthy vitamins for the citizens.”

    He lauded former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his programmes and policies, which, he said,  saved the poultry business from collapse.

    The National President , Ayoola Oduntan, said the poultry sub-sector provides no fewer than 15millions jobs.

     

  • Poultry farmers seek intervention on egg-glut

    POULTRY farmers have called on government to find last solution to egg-glut as a way of reducing unemployment.

    The General Secretary of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Oyo State branch, Dr Segun Makanjuola, stated this in a statement to commemorate this year World Egg Day.

    Makanjuola explained that if government addresses the challenges facing its members, the level of unemployment and malnutrition among children as well as other health-related challenges would be reduced to the barest minimum.

    He urged state governments to embark on feeding school children with an egg per day because of its nutritional value.

    The initiative, he said, will also address the problem of incessant egg glut in the country.