The Nation Newspaper

Tag: projects

  • LASU VC optimistic about new projects

    With new facilities springing up at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, its Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa is optimistic they would greatly add value to teaching and learning.

    He spoke when the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and his Information counterpart, Mr Lateef Ibirogba toured the projects of the Lagos State government in the Ojo campus of the university last Wednesday.

    The projects including the Senate building, central library, LASU Radio, Faculty of Education, School of Transport, Faculty of Law and the Students Arcade are all being handled by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

    Obafunwa said the facilities would contribute to practical learning in a conducive atmosphere. He added that apart from the ongoing projects, many other facilities have been rehabilitated or are under construction.

    “There is no doubt that by the time all these are completed students will be able to learn in a conducive environment. With the laboratories being constructed, we have enough lab space to train students practically,” he said.

    The VC also announced that the university’s School of Communication will be relocated from the Surulere Campus to Ojo, where it will be housed next to the LASU Radio, which will be completed in April.

    “LASU Radio will partly be used for training Mass Communication students. The adjoining space to the Radio will be used to put up a building for the Mass Communication Department which will move from Surulere soon,” he said.

    Beyond the buildings being of top quality Dr Hamzat said that the construction has provided opportunity for engineering and building students to learn about practical work in their fields. He said this sometimes may delay the completion of the project but was worth it.

    “These buildings are designed to last 200-300 years. We did piling work for the library to ensure the building lasts a long time. The piling work will give opportunity for students to see and understand how it is designed. I was in the University of Ibadan and I did not see concrete until I was in my fourth year. It is important for us to delay the work when necessary so students can learn how it is done,” he said.

    On his part, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Ibirogba said the ultimate aim of the investment in LASU is to improve the quality of education given to students so the certificate is prized worldwide.

    “It is for us to bring LASU to the level that all over the world where the certificate is presented, it will be accepted,” he said.

     

  • NBA commissions projects

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ado-Ekiti branch,  will on Thursday at the Prosperous Royal Hotels Limited, Prosperous Avenue,  Opposite Pathfinders Hotels, Kilometer 4, Iworoko Road, Ado-Ekiti,  commission a number of  projects specially designed to elevate the status of the branch among the comity of branches of the NBA and  enhance the professional efficiency, competence and proficiency of its members

    A statement from the branch chairman, Mr J. O. Adewunmi states that the Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly and former chairman of NBA  Badagry Lagos branch of the NBA,   Hon.  A.T. Orisalade  will chair the event. He will  be assisted at the occasion by a number of specially invited special guests of honour.   The projects to be commissioned include: group accident insurance cover for the branch,  opening of the branch website, presenting a customized diary for the branch and presentation of the branch 2014 calendar.

    On why he introduced the the group accident insurance cover, Mr. Adewunmi said: “The truth is that the practice of the legal profession shares its own hazards, like some other professions. Thus, the importance of providing for the future uncertain risks associated with the practice of the profession in particular and life in general cannot be over emphasized, hence, the decision to practically ensure, through this scheme, that the future of members, as humanity possible, is protected”.

  • Mimiko disburses N75m to communities for self-help projects

    The Ondo State government has disbursed N75million to 21 communities across the state to embark on community self-help projects.

    Over 600 community projects were executed in 300 communities during the first term of the present administration.

    Governor Olusegun Mimiko, while distributing the cheque to representatives of the communities in Akure, the state capital reiterated his administration’s determination to uplift the standard of living of the people in rural communities by providing basic infrastructure that will add values to their lives.

    He noted that Community Change Champions (CCC) have been trained to oversee proper usage of the facilities.

    The governor promised that government would continue to assist willing communities to execute projects that are people-oriented. Such projects, he said would help to reduce rural-urban migration and boost the economy of the communities.

    Mimiko, however, urged the traditional rulers to support government in its bid to transform the socio-economic landscape of the state.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Clement Faboyede enumerated the projects so far executed to include basic health centers, town halls, classroom blocks, skill acquisition centers and cottage industries among others.

    He thanked the governor for prompt release of funds to the ministry to execute people-oriented projects across the state.

     

  • CBARDP spends N3.2b on projects

    CBARDP spends N3.2b on projects

    The Community-Based Agricultural and Rural Development Project (CBARDP) has spent N3.2 billion on agricultural projects in five states, according to the Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Arabi.

    He said in Bauchi that the projects were located in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara.

    CBARDP is the African Development Bank (AfDB)-assisted programme.

    The Coordinator said the beneficiary farmers were drawn from 45 local government areas and 135 rural villages in the participating states.

    He said the AfDB contributed N2.88 billion and the Federal Government N155 million while the five participating states provided N168 million as counterpart funds.

    Similarly, the 45 benefitting local government areas contributed N50 million as counterpart funds.

    Arabi said the fund was spent on crops and livestock production and infrastructure development and capacity building.

    The fund, he added, was also used to buy operational vehicles and equipment, pay allowances and other miscellaneous expenses.

    The coordinator described CBARDP as an integrated agricultural and rural development project designed to improve the livelihood and living conditions of the rural poor.

    According to him, the programme targetted women and other vulnerable groups as beneficiaries.

    Arabi said the project was in line with the Federal Government’s agricultural transformation agenda (ATA).

    ATA, he explained, aimed at supporting farmers by enhancing access to credit facilities, inputs, new agricultural techniques and processing facilities.

    “The objective is to contribute to food security through increased crop and livestock productivity, improve farmers’ income and ensure better living condition of the rural poor.

    “Under the programme, 270,000 farm families were exposed to current agricultural technologies and how to adopt best practises that enhanced high yields.

    “They were also trained on entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, to provide them with means of livelihood,”he added.

    The coordinator also said that N1.08 billion was spent on construction of 270 km rural roads and drilling of 150 boreholes.

    “Each of the participating states had 54kms of roads and 30 boreholes provided under the programme.

    “These roads have enhanced evacuation of farm produce from remote villages, while the boreholes have helped to improve the hygiene of the rural dwellers.

    The Coordinator also said N99 million was spent on crop production development outreach while another N63 million was spent on livestock production outreach.

  • Chime to complete all projects

    Chime to complete all projects

    Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has reiterated the determination of his administration to complete all projects initiated by it before the end of his tenure.

    Chime was speaking during campaign rallies by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Uzo Uwani and Ezeagu Local Government Areas ahead of the November 2 local government elections in the state.

    He stressed that the social contract between the government and the people of the state was being religiously implemented as evidenced by the level of infrastructural development that have been recorded at both the state and local government levels, adding that he will ensure that no project will be abandoned by his administration.

    He expressed gratitude to the people of the state for keeping faith with the government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party since the inception of his administration, adding that he can only pay them back with enduring and life-changing legacies.

    Governor Chime further praised the landmark achievements of the Chairmen of the Ezeagu and Uzo Uwani Councils whom he said, had brought a lot of positive changes to the social and economic lives of the people.

    In his own speech, the State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Vita Abba said the party had remained popular, strong and united in the state to the sterling performances of Governor Chime which he said also accounted for the absence of any credible opposition.

    He thanked the indigenes of the local governments and party stakeholders for the confidence they reposed in the two chairmen, saying that facts on the ground showed that the council chiefs did not disappoint them.

    Chief Abba urged the party faithful in the council areas to continue to reconcile differences with dialogue and consultation which he said were cherished values of the party in Enugu State.

    In their separate speeches, the Chairmen of Ezeagu and Uzouwani Local Government Areas,Chief Emeka Ozoagu and Cornel Onwubuya respectively, thanked the governor for the free hand granted local governments in the state as this had enabled them to bring unprecedented developments to their respective areas. They promised to continue to follow the good examples of prudence, transparency, fairness and accountability in the management of resources as laid down by the governor.

    Highlight of the rallies which were attended by thousands of enthusiastic party supporters and stakeholders, was the presentation of flags to the councillorship candidates of the parties in the two local government areas.

     

  • Ondo approves N145m for self-help projects

    Ondo approves N145m for self-help projects

    The Ondo State government has approved a sum of N145m to finance self-help projects in 28 communities in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Community Development, Clement Faboyede, disclosed this on Saturday in Akure, the state capital.

    Faboyede said the communities chosen for the self-help projects were picked on merit, adding that most of the communities have shown interest by initiating some projects which will be completed by the state government.

    The Commissioner expressed displeasure over reported cases of theft of government facilities such as transformers and feeder pillars particularly in Abese, Akure South local government and Isua Oke in Akoko South East.

    Faboyede, however, added that various communities had raised vigilante groups to keep watch on these infrastructures.

    He added that the current year had been set aside for structural consolidation of various projects already provided by the state government in several communities in the state.

     

    He said, “The emphasis of the state government is participatory governance for development where all projects already put in place during the first term are consolidated.”

     

     

  • Okowa assures of equitable distribution of projects

    Senator representing Delta North, Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa, has assured the people of Delta North of continued equitable distribution of constituency projects across the nine local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

    He gave the assurance at the weekend in Agbor, during an audience with the leadership of Agbor community, the apex socio-cultural and political organisation of Agbor people in Ika South Local Government Area.

    Okowa maintained that he had carefully ensured that all projects he attracted so far to the district were equitably distributed across the district.

    “I have tried to distribute projects across the nine local government areas. For instance, roads projects were sited in Oshimili South, Ndokwa East, Ika North-East and Ika South, while water projects have been executed in some communities in Aniocha South, Ika South and Ndokwa East. There are also solar-powered street lights in such communities as Utagba-Uno, Ugiliamai, Agbor-Nta, Abavo, Ute-Ogbeje, Obomkpa among others,” he explained.

    He expressed worry over the delay in the execution of the Alihagu/Oki Road, which he said was supposed to be nearing completion of its first phase by now. He, however, promised to get in touch with the contractor to find out the cause of the delay.

    He informed the group that a road project had equally been awarded in Abavo, while efforts were on to push one road each in Ika South and Ika North-East for considerations, adding that, “for equity sake, I ensure that the road projects were equally distributed in Ikaland”

    While acknowledging that the federal government was facing budgetary challenges especially with capital budget, he promised to continue to do his best for the people of Delta North and Nigerians.

    On the Old Lagos/Asaba Road dualization project, the federal lawmaker explained that the initial delay that attended the commencement of work was due to faulty design, which took some time to address.

    He also informed the group of two school projects, nearing completion in Ikaland awarded by the state government; one in the premises of Ogbemudein Secondary School and another behind Owa Model Primary School.

    According to him, he was able to attract a ‘Special Grant’ to College of Education, Agbor, for development purposes, but said there was little hiccup experienced, which is being resolved.

    On the issue of erosion devastation in Agbor raised by the group, Senator Okowa said he had written to the Ecological Fund to draw their attention to all erosion prone areas across Delta North,

    Earlier, in an address he presented on behalf of the executive committee, the President-General of Agbor Community, General Nick Agbogun (rtd), enumerated the challenges Agbor was facing to include; erosion menace in the metropolis, bad roads, youth unemployment, amongst others.

  • Fed Govt okays N1.46b for ports’ projects

    Fed Govt okays N1.46b for ports’ projects

    TO ensure safety at the ports, the Federal Government has approved $3.5 million (about N560 million) for the construction of 100 pieces of channel marking buoys in them.

    The government also approved N900 million for land reclamation. The benefiting ports are in Lagos, Warri (Delta State), Port Harcourt (Rivers) and Calabar (Cross River).

    Transport Minister Senator Umar Idris told reporters after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday that the job, which will be handled by Messrs Marina Energy Ltd, would be completed in 25 months.

    The briefing, which was coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, was attended by Ministers of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Trade and Investment Dr Olusegun Aganga, Minister of State for Finance Yerima Ngama and Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu.

    The buoys, he said, would help to delineate the channels leading to the ports and also enhance safe navigation.

    Idris said land was being reclaimed at Obang-Iju-Ibiro-Oba-Ojinba-Okujagu-Ama waterfront, a job for which N7.9 billion was approved last year, to make it navigable.

    He said: “However, because of compelling needs and of course the need to enhance the work added to the recommendation by the consultants for additional work and the need to reclaim additional hectares and in some areas to put in more reinforcement on the project, the Council approved the augmentation in the sum of N900 million.”

    Aganga said Nissan had shown interest to partner with a local company, Stallion Group, to manufacture vehicles in Nigeria.

    Mrs Alison-Madueke said the International Finance Corporation (IFC) had decided to support Nigeria’s gas pipeline infrastructure, adding: “The IFC made a great point of commending Mr. President highly for his power privatisation programme. As the chief executive officer said, it has been one of the most successful that they have seen in the world. And being the world’s super national infrastructure financing organisation, we took this commendation very seriously.”

    Ngama said the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) had budged $2 billion for investment in Nigeria.

    The government, he said, would organise a summit for the new owners of the sold power companies and some interested financial institutions, adding: “To further reap the benefit of our successful privatisation of our distribution companies (Discos) and generation companies (Gencos), it became apparent that those private owners need to be assisted, not only them also all other companies that bought privatised institutions and those that have concessions as well as those that are involved in public private partnership (PPP).”

  • PZ Cussons projects better performance

    PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has promised a stable profitable growth in the years ahead, the board of the company has assured.

    At the 65th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja yesterday, Chairman, Board of Directors, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Professor Emmanuel Edozien, said the company was optimistic that it would deliver on its targets.

    PZ Cussons recorded a net profit after tax of N4.9 billion for the financial year ended May 31, 2013. This represents 102 per cent increase from N2.4 billion recorded last year. Shareholders also at the meeting approved dividend of N2.22 billion, representing a dividend per share of 65 kobo.

    Edozien outlined that the company’s strategic direction of investing in volume growth and improving cost structure has paid off in better profitability, giving the company the confidence that it will sustain on the right footing for profitable growth in the future.

    “In line with the strategic plans and direction in the forthcoming financial year, we are optimistic that we will deliver the targets. The company has continued to invest in strengthening the supply chain and improving operational efficiency, to optimize the cost base and improve the consumer experience,” Edozien said.

    He noted that the detergent and soap manufacturing processes have been further improved to drive efficiencies and meet the increasing demand adding that these initiatives and other such investments aimed at optimizing the supply chain and overall overheads will ensure a flexible and competitive cost structure for the company going forward.

    He however lamented that Nigeria’s manufacturing sector contributed less than five per cent of the GDP, with inadequate infrastructure like electricity supply and distribution networks being the key factors.

    According to him, inadequate infrastructure translates into high conversion costs which means that the local manufacturing facilities are not cost competitive with goods manufactured in other countries.

    He noted that the widening gap between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rate and the parallel market had increased to N158 and 162; with declining oil production in Nigeria and the United States of America (USA) giving cause for concern in the months ahead.

    Professor Edozien was re-elected to serve another term as chairman of the board. Also, three other directors were similarly re-elected into their positions. The three directors were Ms. Joyce Coker, Mrs. Elizabeth Ebi and Mr. Paul Usoro. They were elected in a unanimous vote by shareholders at the meeting.

    Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Managing Director, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Mr. Christos Giannopoulos said the company was able to record appreciable success as a result of increase in product range.

    He affirmed the use of local contents in the line of production, adding however that the company relies on imports where certain raw materials are not available locally.

    The board and shareholders expressed optimism about the future of the company in spite of the harsh operating environment, with shareholders stating their expectation of higher dividends in the years ahead.

  • ‘Ekiti govt’ll support community projects’

    Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu has said the government will support community self-help projects.

    She spoke at Orun-Ekiti at the presentation of the Instrument of Office to Oba Joseph Oluwasola Osalusi, the Oloja Orun in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area.

    Mrs. Adelabu said: “The government is willing to support viable developmental project embarked upon by communities.”

    She urged Orun-Ekiti indigenes to support the monarch to develop the community.

    The deputy governor said the granting of autonomy to some towns and villages by the government was not to create division but to ensure development.

    She said: “Granting of autonomy to any community is not an attempt to factionalise or disintegrate a hitherto compact community for ulterior motives.

    “It is a response to the genuine demand of a people, who felt their deserved recognition would enhance development in all facets of life. It is not designed to breed hatred, rancour, nepotism and other negative disposition that can negate harmonious co-existence with their former allied communities. It has no political colouration.”

    She explained that Orun-Ekiti was granted autonomy in line with best practices, saying: “Orun-Ekiti was one of the five communities granted autonomy by the state government last December 19 in line with Section 6A (1) and (2) of the Chiefs Laws of Ekiti State, CAP C5 of 2012.”

    Mrs. Adelabu urged Oba Osalusi to see his installation as a divine call to service, which requires diligence, sacrifice and perseverance.

    Assuring his people that his reign would facilitate growth and peace, Oba Osalusi listed the community’s needs and pledged to cooperate with the government.

    He said: “Here in Orun-Ekiti, the best has happened to us through your Solomonistic wisdom and, by the law of reciprocity, our covenant with your government is absolute, as well as total deliverance of our responsibilities on the day of reckoning.”