The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Private

  • Infrastructure gap: union urges private, public partnership

    THE national Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE) has advised the Federal Government to provide the enabling environment for active public-private partnership (PPP) to bridge the huge infrastructure gap in the country.

    Its President, Comrade Innocent Jaja, said infrastructure problem in Nigeria persists due to lack of active PPP in the area.

    He said the government should allow the private sector to drive the construction sector in order to address infrastructural deficit.

    His words: “All that government needed do is to provide the enabling environment that will aid the activities of the private operators.

    “There are millions of decayed infrastructure in major cities of Nigeria; they are not available for Nigerians to use because they were built by profit-making government officials.

    “Government alone cannot provide the needed infrastructure such as roads, schools, houses, markets and others.There is need for full partnership between government and private sector, through a well-programmed PPP scheme.

    ‘‘This means leaving roads and housing infrastructure delivery in the hands of the private sector, while government provides the enabling environment.”

    Jaja expressed the hope that the active partnership of the private sector on roads infrastructure delivery would have great impact on the nation.

    He noted that for the PPP scheme to work effectively in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure desire, government at all levels should go further and formulate acceptable policy frameworks.

     

    The labour leader added that government in this context should grant positive incentives to private sector developers, especially import duty waivers on construction materials, provision of infrastructure and credit facilities through effective mortgage system and tax relief, among others.

  • Infrastructure gap: union urges private, public partnership

    THE national Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE) has advised the Federal Government to provide the enabling environment for active public-private partnership (PPP) to bridge the huge infrastructure gap in the country.

    Its President, Comrade Innocent Jaja, said infrastructure problem in Nigeria persists due to lack of active PPP in the area.

    He said the government should allow the private sector to drive the construction sector for maximum provisions check infrastructural deficit.

    “All that government needed do is to provide the enabling environment that will aid the activities of the private operators.

    “There are millions of decayed infrastructures in major cities of Nigeria; they are not available for Nigerians to use because they were built by profit-making government official.

    “Government alone cannot provide the needed infrastructure such as roads, schools, houses, markets and others. There is need for full partnership between government and private sector, through a well-programmed PPP scheme.

    ‘‘This means leaving roads and housing infrastructure delivery in the hands of the private sector, while government provides the enabling environment.”

    Jaja expressed the hope that the active partnership of the private sector on roads infrastructure delivery would have great impact on the nation.

    He noted that for the PPP scheme to work effectively in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure desire, government at all levels should go further and formulate acceptable policy frameworks.

    The labour leader added that government in this context should grant positive incentives to private sector developers, especially import duty waivers on construction materials, provision of infrastructure and credit facilities through effective mortgage system and tax relief, among others.

  • ‘Private, public partnership vital for sea time training’

    Private and governmentowned organisations have been urged to invest in indigenous cadets’ sea time training.

    Some experts gave the advice at conference titled: “A Day with Nigerian Maritime Students”.

    At the conference, organised by Platforms Communications in Lagos, the expertss lamented that lack of sea time portend negative future for cadets in Nigerian-owned maritime academies. They are convinced that training of cadets aboard tugboats and smaller crafts would not bring out the best.

    Conference Chairman and Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN President, Dr. McGeorge Onyung, urged the government and the private sector to invest in the  industry to boost youths’ capacity.

    The SOAN chief urged the students to take their studies very serious and forget about the challenges they might encounter.

    “You have capacities as adults to do exploit. So, I say to you, people don’t go to Olympics to try; You go there to get a gold medal. Don’t say, I went to school, I have tried, I want you to go and get a gold medal,” Onyung said.

    Similarly, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMMS) former president, Ade Olopoeniyan, a Captain, called on government agencies, maritime colleges as well as maritime stakeholders to fashion out better ways of providing sea time experience for cadets to have proper practical training onboard ships.

    Olopoeniyan admonished the students that the fact remained that most of them would not have the opportunity to practical training on a ship even though the conference was themed “beyond sea time”.

    “I know that a lot of cadets here, when you finish, you will not be able to get that mandatory 12- month on a ship or if the ship is not trading, you are not getting enough practical training. If the ship will just be at anchorage for about six or nine months, you won’t get any training, you are just on a ship, you are not getting enough experience,” he said.

    He, therefore, charged the government agencies, ship owners, stakeholders, maritime colleges, among others, to fashion out better ways of getting sea time for cadets so that they can have proper practical training onboard ships and not just on a ship staying at anchorage for twelve months then you.

    He agreed with Onyung that several vessels on the Nigerian waters were being manned by foreigners. He was confident that if more Nigerians qualify as seafarers, there wouldn’t be need for foreigners on indigenous ships.

    Olopoeniyan used the opportunity offered by the occasion to encourage the students that it is important for them to get certified as this would ensure that they didn’t  only operate on coastal vessels, but also could be on foreign going vessels, which will afford them. The requisite experience and exposure.

    “Then, beyond sea time, maybe after you have gotten your classified by universal certificate or classified by Nigeria certificate, you can decide to come to your second career at shore which was what I did. After I became a captain on a ship, I came down to work ashore, which was my second career and I worked in the Ministry of Transport; I worked in NIMASA and I have retired now. And I am actually into my third career now by just doing consultancy services.

    “I have had three careers as a seafarer, which if you are serious, you can emulate what I have done by actually having first, second and third career as seafarers”, he stated.

    Similarly, the Finance and Administration, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Executive Director Bashir Jamoh, stressed the need for the ferry business to be utilised effectively.

    He called on the government to invest on shipping building which would serve as an alternative for cadets and seafarers to be gainfully employed.

  • Seplat urges public, private sector investments

    Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, has urged the public and private sectors to invest more in research and development aimed at promoting safety.

    The oil company noted that such investments should cut across the various sectors of the economy as is the case for the oil/gas and aviation sectors, among others.

    Its Operations Director, Effiong Okon, stated this at the Nigeria Professional Development Conference and Exhibition in Lagos. It was organised by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), Nigerian Chapter. The theme of the event was ‘Sustainable safety for national development.’

    According to Okon, safety is at the forefront of Seplat’s activities, which have enabled it to conduct its activities across the country with minimal footprint. “We approach safety, using the people, environment, asset and reputation model incorporated in our ‘safety first’ policy. We only execute projects that promote continuous reduction of environmental impact in our operations,” he said.

    He added: “We track offshoots from our operations and strive to reduce adverse effects from our facilities. Our internal use of gas flared reduced by over 95 per cent between 2011 and 2017.

    “Seplat has incorporated key programmes across all its facilities to achieve flares out by 2020 in line with keeping the environment safe. We comply with all regulatory requirements and benchmark our performance with international standards.”

    Okon said the company has seen continuous decline in safety incidents over the years and would continue to deploy safety training and coaching to hone safety consciousness and skills of its local contractors.

    Progressively managing challenges around establishment of support infrastructure for safety management, he noted, remained a priority to the company, adding that: “Since the taking over of our current assets, third-party interference on Seplat’s infrastructure had been significantly minimised.”

  • ‘Private, public partnership key to bridging housing gap

    Long-term public-private partnerships can ease Nigeria’s housing crisis, the Founder/Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Nedcomoaks Limited, a real estate company, Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo, has said.

    Okonkwo said the partnerships between private and public sector was key to improving housing gap in Nigeria.

    He underscored the power of collaboration in the housing sector and urged the government to play its role of driving the public-private partnership model in order to create affordable housing in Nigeria’s growing cities.

    “Financing infrastructure deficit across Nigeria and other African countries will involve collective innovation both across the public and the private sectors,” Okonkwo, whose firm is engaged in the acquisition, development and management of properties in Nigeria, said.

    He further stated that apart from partnership and collaboration, creating affordable housing in Nigeria requires truly understanding how people in those communities live.

    According to him, a careful understanding of that fact will help in determining how fast the country can meet the demands of its fast-growing cities.

    Okonkwo said the power of Nigeria’s real estate sector to contribute to the socio-economic well-being of the country by providing low-income housing solutions to Nigerians cannot be over-emphasised.

    He said Nedcomoaks has emerged a top player in Nigeria’s residential real estate sector, with yearly revenue of over N15 billion in just under a decade, while also providing employment to thousands.

  • Senator advocates private, public partnership in ICT

    The Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District at the Senate, Senator Gbenga Ashafa has said collaborative efforts between private and public sectors are needed in order to improve Nigeria’s education standard.

    The lawmaker, who spoke during the inauguration of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre and blocks of classrooms at St. John Anglican School, Imota Lagos, said acquisition of ICT skills is necessary for quality education.

    He said the world was becoming a global village as a result of technological advancements made possible by the ICT. He stated that stakeholders in the education sector could no longer watch from the sidelines.

    The Senator expressed optimism that with the right education and ICT skills, Nigerian youths would make the country better in terms of socio-economic and political developments.

    He noted that the project would facilitate youths’ development, even as he called on stakeholders to complement Lagos State government’s efforts in its drive to reduce illiteracy.

    He said: “We are  aware that ICT rules the world now, and if we have youths who are not trained in the right skills, they will not be able to communicate well with their counterparts from other parts of the world.

    “This is particularly helpful where we have the first private university in the country; Caleb University. So, it will facilitate scholarly research and assist youths to sharpen their skills in ICT.

    “To this end, we are complementing the efforts of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode by having the technological hub in Yaba and locating new ones at Igbogbo and Imota.

    “The ICT centres are for people to learn while the blocks of classrooms will enhance the reading environment for the pupils.  This is part of my contributions to make life better for my constituents as I promised when I was vying for the position of Senator,” he said.

    He maintained that any society which ignores the development of its youths is doomed.

    “We are aware that education is priceless, but what is even inestimable is handing over valuable skills which will be relevant to the development of the young generation.

    “The world over, there is no doubt that the way to go is information technology. Therefore, I once again commit to you a responsibility to be much more ICT compliant.

    “Never forget that the gesture is in furtherance to the foundation laid down by our leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the consolidation of the efforts of Governor Ambode,” he said.

     

  • Afreximbank beats private placement target on Depository Receipt

    The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is off to a successful listing of its Depositary Receipts (DRs) on the official market of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM).

    This is coming on the heels of a successful close of the private placement with subscriptions far in excess of the $100 million minimum target set to launch the DR programme.

    A statement by the Head of Communications, Afreximbank, Obi Emekekwue,  said the first day of listing and trading of the Afreximbank DRs will be on October 4, when 5,000 DRs must, by regulation, be made available for trading at a price of $4.30 per DR. The private placement closed on September 26.

    In its communique on July 24, SEM had announced approval of the proposed listing on the official market of up to 69,770,000 depositary receipts backed by 6,977 Class D shares of Afreximbank, subject to Afreximbank raising the minimum aggregate amount of $100 million through the private placement. The approval was for Afreximbank to list the full 69, 770,000 within 12 months.

    In pursuance of the DR issuance, Afreximbank organised investor meetings and road shows in Port Louis, Lagos, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Nairobi, New York, and London, drawing very positive responses from the investing public. Afreximbank’s goal was to achieve a subscription level of between the required aggregate minimum of $100 million and an upper limit of $300 million, notwithstanding the 12-month window allowed.

    Reacting to the conclusion of the private placement, Afreximbank President, Dr. Benedict Oramah, said he was impressed by the high level of support received from investors, saying that the DRs would enhance the bank’s capitalisation, enable it to contribute more significantly to narrowing the trade financing gap in Africa and grow the intra-African trade and export manufacturing in Africa. He added that it would pave the way for greater private sector equity participation in the bank and deepen Africa’s capital markets.

    “We are pleased to have successfully opened the bank to the equity capital markets. This will complement the tremendous support Afreximbank continues to receive from its core sovereign shareholders and place the bank in a stronger position to pursue the vast opportunities before it,” Oramah said.

  • A private letter in the public sphere

    When columnist Olatunji Dare returned to column writing for The Nation on September 12, after a two-week break, with a column titled “Back on the beat,” he drew public attention to a letter sent to him by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President Bukola Saraki. The letter was Olaniyonu’s response to Dare’s column of August 15 titled “A preface to the silly season.”

    Dare said: “Olaniyonu sent it as a “private letter.”  But since it raises issues that belong in the public sphere, I sought his kind permission to publish it herewith, slightly edited.”

    In the said piece, Dare had focused on “those aspiring to be president,” saying what he presented was “by no means an exhaustive list.”  He added: “By the time the game really gets going, we may have as many as 240, if not more…As the game gathers momentum, almost everything else will be suspended.  Everything else will be subordinated to winning.”

    Dare’s list featured Saraki, which is why Olaniyonu wrote to him. The columnist had written: “Where else but up can Senate President Bukola Saraki go in the scheme of things?  Given the way he vaulted himself into his current position, and the Faustian bargain he made along the way, it was clear that he was out for the top job.”

    It is public knowledge that Saraki got to the helm of affairs at the Senate through an unapologetic defiance of his party’s desire and decision. The same twist resulted in a queer combination and cohabitation with Saraki of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Senate President and  Ike Ekweremadu of the discredited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as  Deputy Senate President. It is clear that Saraki is politically ambitious and perhaps desperate for high political office. His political moves and manoeuvres are the stuff of news, and stuff worthy of condemnation.

    So, Olaniyonu sounded unenlightened when he tried to fault “The Nation and Punch” for “their constant searchlight on Saraki and their unrepentant mischief against the man.”  He said of Dare’s list of possible presidential aspirants:  ”This error of omission or deliberate decision not to mention Asiwaju Tinubu gave an unmistakable impression that the article in question is part of the ploy by the Bourdillon media/Intellectual Think Thank to which you are widely believed to belong, to quickly take out the other potential rivals long before the race commences. However, I believe The Nation and its columnists will not have the last say on who becomes the next President after Buhari, either in 2019 or 2023.”

    Of course, it is expected that the sovereign electorate will have the last say when the time comes. It is also expected that insightful columnists like Dare will help shape public opinion so that the voters won’t endorse a figure with a questionable track record.

  • A private letter in the public sphere

    When columnist Olatunji Dare returned to column writing for The Nation on September 12, after a two-week break, with a column titled “Back on the beat,” he drew public attention to a letter sent to him by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President Bukola Saraki. The letter was Olaniyonu’s response to Dare’s column of August 15 titled “A preface to the silly season.”

    Dare said: “Olaniyonu sent it as a “private letter.”  But since it raises issues that belong in the public sphere, I sought his kind permission to publish it herewith, slightly edited.”

    In the said piece, Dare had focused on “those aspiring to be president,” saying what he presented was “by no means an exhaustive list.”  He added: “By the time the game really gets going, we may have as many as 240, if not more…As the game gathers momentum, almost everything else will be suspended.  Everything else will be subordinated to winning.”

    Dare’s list featured Saraki, which is why Olaniyonu wrote to him. The columnist had written: “Where else but up can Senate President Bukola Saraki go in the scheme of things?  Given the way he vaulted himself into his current position, and the Faustian bargain he made along the way, it was clear that he was out for the top job.”

    It is public knowledge that Saraki got to the helm of affairs at the Senate through an unapologetic defiance of his party’s desire and decision. The same twist resulted in a queer combination and cohabitation with Saraki of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Senate President and  Ike Ekweremadu of the discredited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as  Deputy Senate President. It is clear that Saraki is politically ambitious and perhaps desperate for high political office. His political moves and manoeuvres are the stuff of news, and stuff worthy of condemnation.

    So, Olaniyonu sounded unenlightened when he tried to fault “The Nation and Punch” for “their constant searchlight on Saraki and their unrepentant mischief against the man.”  He said of Dare’s list of possible presidential aspirants:  ”This error of omission or deliberate decision not to mention Asiwaju Tinubu gave an unmistakable impression that the article in question is part of the ploy by the Bourdillon media/Intellectual Think Thank to which you are widely believed to belong, to quickly take out the other potential rivals long before the race commences. However, I believe The Nation and its columnists will not have the last say on who becomes the next President after Buhari, either in 2019 or 2023.”

    Of course, it is expected that the sovereign electorate will have the last say when the time comes. It is also expected that insightful columnists like Dare will help shape public opinion so that the voters won’t endorse a figure with a questionable track record.

  • Union lauds private employment agencies for jobs enhancement

    The Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria (HuCaPAN) has said private employment agencies have enhanced jobs and development of businesses.

    HuCaPAN Presdent Mr Remi Adegboyega said while addressing reporters in Lagos.

    HuCaPAN with 150 companies was established to provide an interface through which government and its relevant authorities can consult and relate with providers of outsourced personnel.

    According to Adegboyega, global economic challenges and the need for greater efficiency in businesses have led to increase in dynamic business models.

    He said employers believed that companies that would be sustained must be lean, efficient and responsive because rising wage bills and skills deficit are huge risks to investment.

    ‘’Many workers choose agency work because of their circumstances and the greater flexibility PEAs provide. For some workers, agencies act as a gateway to securing permanent work.

    ‘’While other workers choose temporary work because it allows them to best balance their work with commitments such as self-development, entrepreneurship interests, sports or farming,’’ Adegboyega said.

    He said the market of private employment agencies have grown significantly as business operators in a bid to face their core competencies have adopted the “do what you do best and outsource the rest” model.

    He, however, said employment agencies should recognise the right of workers to belong to a union and ensure that workers contributed to issues that affect their employment.

    ‘’An employers should ensure that he or she will not stop workers from joining the union. The employer must negotiate regularly with union leaders on how to improve workers condition of service,’’ he said.

    The HuCaPAN chief further said members were encouraged to pay the stipulated minimum wage to any person recruited, and tax and pension deducted must be remitted.

    “Every Nigerian irrespective of  their work should be proud of what they are doing and be treated fairly in their jobs. They should attain the basic rights of dignity at work.

    “It is in doing this that the economic value of each and every one of our teeming population would be shored up,’’ he said.

    HuCaPAN is a body that get owners of business of private employment together to enable them improve the operations and comply with statutory requirement.