The Nation Newspaper

Tag: prosperity

  • ‘Glo committed to Africa’s economic prosperity’

    National telecoms giant, Globacom, has restated its commitment to the transformation of Africa’s huge potential to economic prosperity.

    Speaking ahead of 2019 Africa CEO Forum, with the themed Open Africa: from continental treaties to business realities, of which the company is the lead sponsor, Globacom said its desire to help Africa fast-track  its development underscored the company’s sponsorship of the forum which  comes up in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 25.

    The company said that the growth and development of the continent will be the major focus of chief executives of African businesses, international investors and policymakers that will participate in the forum.

    “We share Africa CEO Forum’s objective of using regional integration to drive private sector growth and create more African champions,” Globacom said in a statement issued in Lagos last week.

    At the forum, in which the telecommunication company is the Apex Diamond partner, Mrs. Bella Disu, Globacom’s Executive Vice Chairman, will chair the ‘Women in Business Initiative’ session, in addition to her contribution to other syndicate sessions.

    The company  said: “This is part of our efforts to empower African businesses and spur economic growth in the region. Since we started operations in 2003, we have been the forefront of promoting economic growth. We have continuously invested heavily in building reliable communication infrastructure to support economic freedom.

    “We became the first company to single-handedly build an international submarine cable, Glo 1, to provide sufficient bandwidth to drive internet penetration. The 9,800-km-long cable has landing points in Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Nouakchott, Mauritania; Casablanca, Morocco; Sesimbra, Portugal; Vigo, Spain, and Bude in England.”

    Over 40 panel discussions, public-private workshops and case studies by business leaders, shareholders, investors, heads of state and ministers will feature during the event where  issues to be discussed are challenges facing Africa’s private sector, including the “representation of top women executives in the boardroom and the modernisation of family business governance”.

  • Tiny Island of prosperity and vast ocean of misery

    When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them (Buhari at Chattam House, 2015)

    Since his ascendancy to power in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has sustained the culture of marketing the country very well. He does so mostly in colonial homeland of the United Kingdom as a strategic way of confirming neo-colonial mentality which our national leaders have refused to delete. He has reason to feel obliged to doing so in the UK having been a beneficiary of a world class health facility to which we are denied in our homeland. Consigned to the ‘other room’, Nigerians have not been given the privilege of hearing from their president address them on critical issues of national importance; even his intention to run was relayed to Nigerians through his media aide. At home, the president is shielded from answering questions from the press but abroad, he is opened to barrage of questioning to which he attends to but not without slips.

    At his last Commonwealth trip abroad, PMB marketed Nigeria as a country whose army cannot ward off external aggression from Fulani-herdsmen now transmogrified to “Muammar Gaddafi’s” mercenary soldiers killing farmers and clergy in Benue, Nassarawa, Kogi among others. Are the Gaddafi mercenaries the same set of characters on behalf of whom the president pleaded with the Benue people to learn to accommodate as their countrymen? PMB during the business forum portrayed an image of a grand-father of illiteracy with about 60 percent youthful population, largely unschooled but demanding free housing, health, and education in a nation where local government chairmen, governors, ministers, National Assembly members, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, presidential aides, and PMB have sweated in the last three years to construct the best health facility as that of the UK. The ‘siddon look’ youth are too blind to see the world class educational institutions provided for them but they are still waiting for PMB to send cars to take them to school. This youth must be caned!

    How blind can they be not to see how PMB has reduced the two worlds: a tiny island of prosperity and a vast ocean of misery he accused Goodluck Jonathan of creating in his Chattam House speech in 2015?

    Illiteracy is a disease indeed. If not, why can’t the youth be silent against the wide gulf between the rich and the poor even when the National Bureau of Statistics snapshot of Nigeria inequality indicated that 58.4percent of national expenditure and consumption go to the rich while the poor majority takes 11.4percent? How daring could they be by demanding their share of national cake when the governors in their progressive thinking go to retirement with legislated millions while civil servants of 35 years of active service carry placards to get two months out of the 10 months arrears being owed them! If the youth are too blind to see the plunging of six million formerly employed able-bodied Nigerians into the ocean of Nigeria’s unemployment market, at least they should be able to appreciate the two million jobs already created by the government.

    Let Leah Sharibu come out and be spanked for daring to go to school on a day that the security will be redeployed elsewhere. Why asking government to bring her back? Is she not intelligent enough to know the limits of rights or has the government not done enough in technically decimating Boko Haram? Don’t Nigerians know where we were before this government came on board in May 2015? If yes, why should Nigerians be bothering a government that PMB said ‘we are doing very well in security’ to check the ‘Gaddafi’ herdsmen killing spree? Can’t we see that we do not need self-defence with the way our security men arrested those guys who came to steal Senate mace? Why will the youths join opposition parties who are instigating killings around the country but are too big for the government to arrest? Haba! Where did you see or hear the president utter the word, lazy? Chai! Nigerians don’t even know the difference between ‘a lot’, ‘some’ and ‘all’. Can’t you see how the children of the rich are busy farming and occupying the tiny islands of prosperity in Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria National Petroleum Company through the back door but the children of the masses are sitting down doing nothing instead of going to farm.

    But like the killer who dreads sword dangling around his head, PMB detests to hear that his government is doing nothing yet he accuses the youth of sitting down and doing nothing. Hear him: “We have a very young population. Our population is conservatively 180 million and more than 60 percent are below the age of 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been a oil producing country therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free but let me tell you that recently my Minister for Education or for Information was constrained to answer a question from people who are accusing the administration of doing nothing.”

    There is a problem when a government thinks it is doing very well in economy and does not understand that the majority who voted him to power are swimming in ocean of misery. If a government thinks that it is doing very well in security while those who are supposed to supply food to the nation are being killed and their land taken over by ‘Gaddafi herdsmen’ then there is a bigger problem. Was PMB and his team not told by Bill Gates that his investment in education and health was a drop in the ocean? Where then is the education, health or housing on ground that people can boast of let alone ask for free? What is left to say if Nigeria still ranks among most dangerous places to give birth on earth and fourth in maternal mortality rate? Gates nailed it when he said “If you invest in their health, education and opportunities, the human capital, we are talking about today, then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don’t, however, then it is very important to recognise that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow”.

    The youth should stand up, register, pick their PVCs and be counted in 2019. This is how to show they are not indolent but have the agency to reverse the current trend to a country with an ocean of prosperity and a tiny island of misery.

     

    • Dr Tade, a sociologist sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com

  • Fashola: overloading truck a barrier to prosperity

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said yesterday that overloading of trucks is against road safety rules and regulations which constitute a barrier to prosperity and national development.

    Fashola spoke yesterday in Abuja during a one-day public enlightenment programme on developments in the road sector, organised by the ministry.

    “Why the temptation to overload trucks against regulation and good practice may be appealing, it is ultimately a barrier to prosperity.

    “Such practices may provide cheap and perhaps corrupt riches and income in the short term but they do more damage to our roads for which the cheap income is made.

    “Those who engage in it prosper at the expense of others, this means that in the short run, the road is lost and the opportunities it offers diminishes,” he said.

    He said the enlightenment programme was for stakeholders to recognise that they were actors of the change that would lead the country to prosperity.

    According to him, all over the world, one common trend to prosperity is the level of compliance to laws and regulations for every nation that prosper; there is high level of compliance.

    “In those societies, where there is high level of compliance, what you are likely to see is that the trucks are parked in proper parks and those parks create secondary opportunities to create jobs.

    “You will not see trucks parked on the highways which impede access and opportunities; you will see trucks carrying the specified tonnage of cargo because they want the load protected,” he added.

    He said the programme was for the stakeholders to brainstorm on ways to optimise the opportunities to be created by network of roads within the ECOWAS sub-region.

    “This meeting will deliberate on how we can optimise opportunities that lie in road network like the trans-Sahara highway which connects Nigeria to Chad, Niger Republic, Tunisia, Republic of Mali and Algeria.

    “We will indeed see how we can optimise the opportunities that lie along the Lagos to Abidjan highway that runs through the

    Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana,” he added.

    The stakeholders at the event included the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).

    President Muhamadu Buhari, who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, said:  “The eradication of overloading on our highways will promote competitiveness in business and reduce high maintenance cost of heavy duty vehicles. I implore all vehicle fleet operators and tanker drivers to stop parking their vehicles on the federal highways, as these often causes roads to be congested and gridlocks.

    “The highways should be free at all times for safe and comfortable movement of vehicles. Fleet owners should endeavour to create private parking lots for their fleets at designated locations.”

  • Ajimobi: Keeping faith with Oyo workers in prosperity, adversity

    These are indeed challenging times for state governors, majority of whom, indubitably, are not ‘sleeping soundly’ because of the financial dire straits currently buffeting the country. At the end of each month, the state’s helmsmen are, expectedly, torn between committing the available pittance to the backlog of benefits of the dark and grey-haired on their pay role and fulfillment of their electioneering promises to transmute their states into the El Dorado.

    Since 2015, regular payment of salaries and pensions had become a daunting task, forcing states to evolve several strategies and formulas to defray the accumulating arrears. The timely intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the payment of budget support facility, bailout fund and the Paris Club refund to states to cushion the effect, has been heartwarming. By this sheer altruism, the president has shown himself to be a caring leader and father of the nation. Curiously, some commentators, who are seemingly pontificating from their comfort zones, have opposed the release of the last tranche of the Paris Club refund on a rather superficial premise. In their jaundiced views, the states deserve no further pity because majority of them did not utilise past interventions judiciously. This is tantamount to cutting the nose to spite the face. Surely, decapitation is no solution to migraine.

    That the Nigeria Labour Congress could be in the league of those with this pernicious stance still beggars belief. Permit me to join President Buhari in asking the NLC and the other antagonists if they ever pondered ‘how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children’ in these trying times. Do they spare any thought for the senior citizens, particularly those in their dotage, who need to buy drugs regularly to keep their enfeebled bodies in shape? How many more Citizen Zoje’s self-annihilation cases must the country record before we realise the enormity of the crises that have befallen many families?

    For this Christmas to be merry for workers and pensioners, let those concerned fast-track the release of the Paris Club refund. Although, the cushioning effect may be for a fleeting period in states where salaries and pensions have piled up, but half bread is better than none. The payment will not stop the anti-graft agencies from poring over the financial records of the 36 states, as was done in the past, to sanction those harbouring roaches in their cabinets.

    Since 2011, it’s on record that Ajimobi has kept faith with workers and pensioners. In adversity and prosperity, the governor has made workers the capstone of his administration.

    Oyo State has about 101,000 public servants and pensioners on its pay roll, which, unarguably, is one of the largest workforces in the country; with a monthly wage bill of about N4.5bn. The figure had dropped from the erstwhile N5.2bn due to the suspension of some budget components, in agreement with the labour unions. Suffice to say that the oscillating monthly allocation from the Federation Account, in the region of N3.5bn, and internally generated revenue of about N1.5bn is grossly insufficient to meet the growing developmental needs of Oyo State. Today, 100 per cent of the allocation from the central vault is committed to payment of salaries in a rare gesture by the governor, while other recurrent and capital expenditures compete for the IGR. Thus, Ajimobi deserves plaudits for successfully navigating the conundrum of managing the expectations of the workforce, state-owned institutions and those of the more than six million other citizens of the state. To all intents and purposes, citizens crave the dividends of democracy, notwithstanding the vagaries of the economy.

    To the governor’s credit, only few workers with bogus credentials and other grave violations have so far been relieved of their appointments after a forensic audit, in spite of the cash crunch. And those that suffered collateral damage in the process of the purge, but with proven innocence, were reabsorbed into the system and paid arrears of their salaries.

    For the record, the Ajimobi-led administration was the first to pay 13th month full basic salary for three consecutive years (2011-2013) in the history of the state before the pervading paucity of fund made the largesse unsustainable. The governor has also increased workers’ salaries by 300 per cent in the last six years. Before the economy began to experience a downward trend, the governor made payment of salaries on or before the 25th of every month a policy.

    On the receipt of the N17.3bn bailout in 2015, the governor ensured that all the four-month arrears of salaries, spanning May to August 2015 were cleared. And to liquidate the freshly accumulated arrears, he had in December 2016, as well as in January, March and July 2017 paid double salaries that left the arrears at just two months as at July before rising to the current three months.

    Whereas, the FG appealed to states to utilise 50 per cent of the first tranche of the Paris Club refund for payment of salaries and pension, the Ajimobi administration used 60 per cent of the N7.2bn received; while it committed 100 per cent of the second tranche of N5bn to the payment of salaries, as against the proposed 75 per cent. Thus, out of the total N12.2bn received, about N9.3bn was used to defray salaries of state and local government employees, representing 76 per cent of the total sum.

    Convinced about the transparent utilisation of the first bailout, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, led by Senator Abdullahi Gumel, had, during an oversight visit to the state on January 25, 2017, given the state a clean bill of health.

    To incentivise the workers, over 30,000, including teachers, have been promoted in the last six years. These included those that had been condemned to the awaiting list between 2008 and 2011. Similarly, more than 8,000 workers have received car loans, which was jacked up to N500,000 from the erstwhile N200,000; while close to 1000 got loans of N2m each to put roofs on their heads; up from the N1m they used to get. For effective service delivery, over 16,000 civil servants have been sponsored on local and overseas training under Ajimobi’s watch.

    Ajimobi is also the first governor in the history of the state to purchase shuttle buses (10 units of 63-seater) for the transportation of workers to and from work, free of charge.

    The governor, who is known for his excellent sartorial taste, has also successfully changed the dress sense of workers, including political office holders. Not only this, the once-squalid Governor’s Office has now been transformed into a picturesque edifice with tranquil ambience. Today, the roving courtiers of praise singers, drummers and rapacious praise singers that used to serenade past governors and VIPs have been banished from the façade of the Governor’s Office.

    Without any equivocation, the fortunes of senior citizens have been enhanced under the Ajimobi-led administration, starting with the implementation of the 142 per cent increase in pension, which gulped about N2bn, plus arrears. Also worthy of note was the payment of six and 15 per cent pension increases in 2013, donation of operational bus to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and harmonisation of the pension of retired heads of service and permanent secretaries.

    Paradoxically, among the vociferous latter-day critics of the Ajimobi-led administration are some incorrigible individuals and corporate tax evaders who are culpable in the leakages stymieing the development of the state. Their ilk includes public officials aiding and abetting tax evasion. Some of these economic saboteurs even print their own receipts, which they substitute for official ones. Those adept at cutting corners by patronizing touts at revenue collection centres or bribing collectors instead of paying appropriate levies and rates cannot also not be exonerated from this group. Among these unpatriotic citizens are residents who hide under the cover of darkness to dump refuse indiscriminately, particularly on median strips.

    As part of its financial reengineering, the state government had taken bold steps to enhance its internally generated revenue. Therefore, efforts must be intensified in this direction. Although, this may not be the best of times to increase taxes and rates, it is nevertheless the most auspicious time to aggressively expand the tax net by co-opting every taxable citizen. Those saddled with this responsibility should brace themselves for the challenges, while every loophole in the process of collecting and remitting must be plugged. An Indian philosopher, Kautilya Chanakya, once said ‘test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.’ May we all pass this acid test of patriotism.

    Please join me in toasting to the continued good health of the quintessential leader and game changer, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, as he celebrates 68 years of God’s abiding grace.

    • Oyedele is Senior Special Assistant on Media to Oyo State Governor

     

  • ‘Lagos owes its prosperity to robust planning, procurement’

    ‘Lagos owes its prosperity to robust planning, procurement’

    Robust planning, procurement and budgeting techniques employed by  the Lagos State government made it a model and one of the strong economies in Africa.

    Its Ministry of Economic Planning & Budget Permanent Secretary, Mr. Kadiri Aboyomi Adebisi, who stated this in Lagos, said the state was  harmonising its planning and budgeting with stakeholders in view of her long-term strategic plan for 2025.

    He spoke at a sensitisation and advocacy workshop on planning reforms and procurement for the chairmen and legislative leaders in Lagos.

    He said the idea was to introduce officials of local governments to budget and planning, which are key to the state’s prosperity

    Adebisi added that the state government was harmonising the template to get every level of governance to have the same vision and plan.

    Earlier, Local Governments Auditor-General Mr. Olatunji Jimoh advised the local government chairmen on the need to translate their promises into concrete action. He urged them on the need for systematic allocation of resources on performance targets.

    Jimoh, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research & Development Directorate, Rev. Mcewen Lamai, reiterated that no meaningful development could be achieved without proper planning and budgeting.

    Stressing the importance of budgeting, he said: “The approved budget is the expenditure authority derived from law, appropriation bill for an entity to apply specified funds from its revenue for identified purposes. The budget established authority for expenditure on specified items and the legal limit within which an entity must operate.”

  • Prosperity messages killing the gospel, says Bishop

    Gospel ministers must preach the undiluted word of God to get the results of the Bible’s days, Bishop of Ogori Magongo Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev Festus Davies, has stated.

    He spoke at the 60th anniversary of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church Aguda, Lagos.

    Davies lamented that prosperity has become the main feature of the gospel, saying it is a misnomer that has made the church lose respect.

    According to him: “The challenges the church is facing today is that the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries stood for the undiluted word of God but the present generation of churches we have diluted the word of God to the extent that everybody is now preaching what he/she likes.

    “Everybody says what suits them and not what Christ stood for. Healing and prosperity in the Bible are good but that cannot be our major emphases.

    ‘’Once they get the gospel right, there is healing, deliverance, and breakthrough, but Christ first.’’

    He went on:  ‘’So, the gospel first and all other material things will be added to you and not the other way round. How can you talk about healing when Christ has not been preached?

    ‘’Where do you get the healing from? And until we go back to the old time religion before we can get ourselves right.”

    He noted that the body of Christ had lost its respect simply because preachers tell politicians what they want to hear instead of charging them.

    He said: “The government don’t respect the church again it is because preachers tell politicians what they want to hear and after that money is given in exchange. It is not the true gospel that Christ died for.”

    He urged members of St. Bartholomew to emulate virtues of the founding fathers who had laboured tirelessly to bring the church to its current status.

    The Bishop, who was also the guest speaker, reminded the church of the role St. Bartholomew played in evangelising the heathens.

     While encouraging the congregation not to rest on their oars, the cleric said they should make preaching of the gospel their watchword.

    He charged the youths to shun laziness and remain focused in life.

     The Diocesan Bishop, Lagos Mainland, Rt. Rev. Akinpelu Johnson, called on members of the church to continue in the good works they are known for.

    He said: “People know of St. Barth’s Aguda and remember that Bartholomew was one of the disciples of Jesus, who went as far as India to preach the gospel.

    ‘’What we know of St. Barth’s is that they preach the gospel and evangelise.’’

    While praying for them, the cleric admonished them to complete the new church building before the church turns 70.

     The church also used the occasion to give awards to some deserving members for their selfless services.

    The awardees included the longest serving Vicar and Archdeacon of the church, Ven. Ben Nwanekwu, Papa T. N. Njoku and people’s warden, Sir Henry U. Oranusi, among others.

  • Anambra AD candidate promises prosperity

    Anambra State candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the November 18 governorship election, Chief Valentine Ugo-Akpe Onwuka, has promised to turn around the fortunes of the state with policies and programmes that will promote economic prosperity.

    In a statement, the Advertising expert said he was determined to harness the energies and potential of Anambra residents for the reengineering of their collective psyche and reinvigoration a desire to build a solid, economically sustainable and prosperous land where the right to life, freedom and justice would be guaranteed.

    He said: “This shall form the root principles to which my government shall be dedicated to, in order to better lives, make property acquisition affordable, while protecting each and every citizen of the state.”

    The statement reads: “Our beloved state is in a crisis created and sustained by the mismanagement, incompetence and corruption of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) government.

    “While theatrics are promoted, economic conditions are worsening by the day and there is so much suffering in the land.

    “The protection of the lives and properties of our people are no more a priority at this time, when extreme protection should be ensured.

    “From herdsmen mayhem to the tacit approval of the current administration to the murder and violent intimidation of our people, all we see is blood, tears and wailing, and a remorseless government.”

    The Ogbunike-born advertising and brands expert said: “I am asking for your votes so that we can create an inclusive, united Anambra. It is this new and invigorated unity that will bring the rebirth of Anambra State.”

  • Turning adversity into prosperity

    Turning adversity into prosperity

    When it comes to turning a bad situation to a golden opportunity, the award must go to Chief Executive, SB Telecoms, Afolabi Abiodun and Chief Executive, InfoGraphics, Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu. Their businesses went into serious debts. Today, they have turned their adversities to prosperity. They shared their experiences at the monthly CFA’s SMEs hangout in Lagos, reports DANIEL ESSIET.

    Bouncing back after heavy debts may not be easy, but it can be done. Chief Executive, SB Telecoms, Afolabi Abiodun, and Chief Executive, InfoGraphics, Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu did it. They told participants at the August edition of CFA’s Startups Hangout in Lagos, how self-belief could turn adversity to advantage.

    As a small business owner, Abiodun is no stranger to adversity. What sets him apart, however, is how he turned adversity to opportunity.

    Abiodun built SB Telecoms Limited from a recharge card vendor business in 2004 to a success story in Information Communication Technology ICT), telecommunications brokerage and security devices.

    His mother and grandmother, described as “entrepreneurial folk”, laid a firm foundation for his future entrepreneurial pursuit, with  holiday jobs he did for them.

    For Abiodun, seeking paid employment was never in the picture.

    After graduating from Lagos State Polytechnic with an Higher National Diploma (HND) in Urban and Regional Planning, Abiodun decided to  venture into business.

    He started as a phone voucher vendor with N6000, hawking recharge cards and providing mobile phones for people to make calls.

    He was selling mobile phone recharge cards to low-to-middle income customers on Lagos Island.

    Then, telecoms products were not so diverse. The most conspicuous products were scratch cards and phones.

    Daily, hundreds of customers thronged into his shops and the turnover increased tremendously.

    He had established a few retail outlets serving networks, principally Starcomm and Intercellular that existed then.  But he ran into trouble. In his bid to expand the business, Abiodun decided to take a loan from the bank. To enable him meet its conditions, his grandmother offered her house as collateral. After getting the loan, there was an increase in business volume. However, he discovered the profits level plummeted. Soon, the  business went into murky waters. In 2007, while supplying new phones, his competitor suddenly brought in refurbished phones from China and this affected his sales.The phones were sold at heavily discounted prices. The refurbished mobiles phones emerged as a leading category for driving margins. Consequently, the loan grew to about N28 million.  He was traumatised. He had two options – waste time feeling sorry for himself, or drew a plan to repay the loan. However, the dilemma forced him to abandon his business and fled Nigeria to Ghana. Because of his skills in software development, he immediately picked a job there. He didn’t stay on the job for one month, when he got a mail that his grandmother had been hospitalised after she heard that he had fled. He was devastated. He resolved to return home to resuscitate the business.  He restarted his business from where he missed it – a call centre outlet. He got back and approached the bank to renegotiate the loan.

    Through all of this, he said he found the strength to keep going and address his problems.

    During investigation, he discovered that the bank manager was the main reason for the growing bad loan.

    Consequently, the bank manager was penalised while the bank structured a repayment payment for him.

    Afolabi diversified his business operations to enable him meet his monthly loan obligation. That is the story of the little beginning of SB Telecoms and Devices, a company that evolve from a call centre outlet into telecoms solutions brokerage.

    It started powering solutions in the ICT space, which helped him to pay back the renegotiated loan. He negotiated deals with partners asking for shared stakes. The strategy worked.  He repaid the debts.

    The company created Time Attendance Management Software (TAMS), a human resource application that manages employees from recruitment to retirement. Since then, he has achieved wealth that he previously thought impossible.

    More importantly, he understands the hurdles that financial problems bring on. As one who has experienced the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, he maintained that entrepreneurship also requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice.

    Mba-Uzoukwu, also a serial entrepreneur, has been involved in the establishment of over 13 start-ups. The business giant, who also became a mayor in the ICT industry, made  huge amounts of money running a successful company. He related his story of tackling failure head on and how he managed to overcome crippling business debts.

    After achieving success as one of Microsoft outstanding partners in Africa, his organisation went into financial ruin and collapsed.

    He was aware the company needed to respond to the crisis and deep downturn in consumer spending. But he didn’t want to do so in a way that would hurt the brand more than it would help the bottom line.

    There were sleepless nights and months of anxiety on how the business can make money to get out of crisis. Through it all, he kept working to develop new services. Then, customers returned. While many of the topics covered practical aspects of dealing with failure, all the speakers emphasised the psychological importance of self-belief and trusting one’s instincts.

    The convener, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., said the economy offers  a lot of potential for aspiring entrepreneur.

  • Edo: Paradigm for prosperity

    A new economic and political reality is rapidly emerging in Edo State. The people have incontestably proved that citizens’ action, peoples’ power and determination are the most durable and powerful catalysts for societal change.  Edo electorate was unquestionably far-sighted in their decision to ensure the fatal termination of the aspiration of the PDP in the September 28,  2016 governorship election. It is perceivable that the voters still bear bleeding wounds from the squandered decade of opportunities and progress under the previous directionless, clueless and ‘do nothing’ PDP government –the memory of the prominent but ignominious role of, Ize Iyamu, as the former Chief of Staff and subsequently Secretary to the State Government under ex-Governor Lucky Igbinedion remains indelibly repugnant to considerable size of Edo people. Thus in resoundingly rejecting Ize-Iyamu as the 2016 PDP governorship candidate, the people wanted to edify a new chronicle  for Edo State in the spring years of the 21st Century. Edo people wanted a responsive and responsible government and therefore embraced the vision and phenomenon  that was advanced by Godwin Obaseki of APC. One could say by every metric of progress that Governor Obaseki has duly reciprocated the trust that was invested in him by the people-he has responded with gusto and dedication to the call of service without any loss of time.

    In fact, Governor Obaseki commenced the construction of tracks for the actualization of the electoral promises on which he campaigned immediately following his inauguration in November.  It was evident from some of the initial executive decision of the governor that his (Obaseki) professional experience in the world of finance and economics, political background and premium of character were crucial capacitors  for the activation of the engine of prosperity in Edo State. These were some of the real and intangible capital that the governor brought along with him to Dennis Osadebey House from inception.   There was an unmistakable cohesive theme in the paradigm of societal advancement that was projected by the governor from the genesis of the administration; Obaseki seem to have embodied a vision of vibrant development that was nurtured in the tried and tested understanding of micro policies simultaneously secured within formidable macro foundations. Unlike the unconscionable era of PDP impunity, the citizenry is watching a healthy political process of governance with inclusive and transparent intentions and institutions. This is a new arena where profound ideas and major policy initiatives are adopted only after the question, qui bono, for whose benefit, has been selflessly examined and honestly answered.

    Hence for instance, it was not surprising that the administration’s 2017 overall economic plan reads like a study in contemporary classics of stimulating a besieged, quasi autonomous economy in a developing world. Obaseki’s entire agenda is thoughtfully enhanced with metrics for gauging progress-the blueprints for Edo’s progress is highly commendable for its people-centered feature in its overall outcome. There are clearly measured short, mid and long term timelines in the comprehensive Obaseki’s budgetary guidelines for 2017. Among other remarkable features in the document were the six key pillars, or the hexagonal engine of prosperity –the six areas included institutional revolution, new township developments, environmental revolution, social welfare revolution, infrastructure revolution and economic revolution. In the past few months, all the six engines of Obaseki’s governing visions are being simultaneously activated and synchronized for the cherished and anticipated goals. Indeed, since the unfolding of the fiscal plan of action, Obaseki has engendered the vital momentum to accelerate the scientific maturation of the fruits of political and economic democracy for the benefit of Edo humanity.

    The government has remained faithfully active in pursing the implementation of its cherished agenda despite the continuing obstruction and obstacles being erected by the PDP through endless electoral litigations. Fortunately the people of Edo State are realistically enthusiastic and responding positively to the administration as the sociology of solidarity between the governor and the citizenry flourished remarkably even through the proceeding at the election tribunal.

    From job creation to infrastructural development and reforming education to agricultural revolution, Obaseki is widening the horizon of opportunities for the evolvement of a more prosperous Edo State; the governor is systematically laying today’s foundation for the architecture of the future- the rainbow of a rapidly rising economic power house in the South-South of Nigeria is becoming endearingly apparent.

    Quite remarkably, along with various other angles within the orbit of the hexagon of prosperity, the governor continues to courageously pursue the agenda of job creation-this was an idea that Obaseki’s political opponent said was impossible during the campaign. Thus far, the strategic layout in variety of the participatory technical forums initiated by the governor shows a secured road map towards achieving the objective of creating 150,000 jobs within Obaseki’s first term. Every impartial assessment indicate that the envisaged  clusters of public/private  agricultural and agribusiness  enterprises of the government  will generate about 60-thousand good decent paying jobs- this is the conservative statistical estimate from this single sector alone. The contemplation that was endowed by Obaseki in the agricultural policy arena is emblematic of the technocratic quality and visionary leadership of the governor in all areas of policy initiatives.

    Understandably, the skeptics and opponents of the governor during the campaign are lacking even the rudimentary capacity to even fathom such job generating potentials-their forte in politics has never included growing the economy and expanding the base for the welfare of the people. The cruel fate of ravenous pillage suffered by such profit-making and employment generating agencies like Bendel Brewery, Bendel Line and Okpilla Cement Factory under the PDP administration is an irreversible indictment in the annals of our history.

    Edo State is being steadily awakened from stupor and from what was previously described as a vegetating civil service state-the geo-political entity is rapidly rising to become a vibrant and formidable agribusiness, industrial and mid-level technological skills exporting region in West Africa. The aggregate potentials of the Gelege seaport blueprint, the rejuvenation of Benin Technical College, the maximization and commercialization of the areas of comparative advantages in agriculture and progressive reforms in education are indestructible foundations for a more prosperous Edo State. A new and historic journey has begun in the geographical heart of Nigeria,this is an opportunity that must not be squandered through diversionary and frivolous electoral litigations of the opposing PDP.

     

    • Adams, a political commentator writes from Benin City, Edo State.

  • ITF:  Towards economic prosperity

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is the human capital development agency of government charged with the responsibility to train and retrain the nation’s human capital through various programmes and policies.

    The Fund’s new DG/CEO, Sir Joseph Ari,  has a new template to do the needful in areas such as Agriculture, which is a major preoccupation of most Nigerians and a key component of the economic diversification agenda.  For instance, the Fund intends to develop the capacity of Nigerian farmers along the agricultural value chain. Specific areas targeted by the plan include fish farming, poultry production, crop production, Agric-mechanization, Agric-business and post-harvest management, manure production, Technology and farm management, and water resource management.

    To actualise this, the Fund has commenced the training of 17,000 farmers using its Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC) in Kano and the Centre for Excellence in Jos and undeveloped lands owned by the ITF in states for the establishment of demonstration farms.  This is even as efforts are in place to acquire land in eight states – Anambra, Benue, Kano, Plateau, Gombe, Oyo, Ogun and Niger for the same purpose.  In view of the breadth of this plan, the Fund will collaborate with States, Ministries of Agriculture, existing local farmers, farmers’ associations like Fadama for farm equipment, seedlings and capacity building and also explore the possibility of financial grants from International and Local Agencies including Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry amongst others. The plan on agriculture is premised on the conviction that to achieve food security and conserve the huge foreign reserve that is currently expended on the importation of food items, the requisite capacity of Nigerians farmers must be developed.

    In the construction sector, the Fund intends to equip Nigerians with skills in these areas: welding and fabrication, reinforcing metal works, domestic electrical installation, carpentry and joinery, tiling, masonry, block and brick making, plumbing and pipe fitting and Plaster Of Paris (POP) making. According to the plan, in 2017 alone, the ITF will train 18,500 Nigerians in the aforementioned trade and craft areas using ITF Industrial Skills Training Centres and selected satellite centres. To ensure achievement of this ambition, the Fund will enter into collaboration with agencies and organisations like Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CTIN), Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIOB), Julius Berger Plc and SETRACO amongst others for technical and financial assistance.

    For the Services industry, the ITF will build the capacity of Nigerians in 17 trade and craft areas including: GSM repairs, generator repairs, computer hardware repairs, software installation, marketing, catering services, event management, automobile and tri-cycle maintenance and repairs, autotronics, tailoring, air condition and refrigeration maintenance and repairs, ICT web design, satellite dish installation and maintenance, facility maintenance and repairs and interior decoration. In all, 9,250 Nigerians will be equipped with these skills.

    In addition, efforts have been stepped up, under the plan, for the formal commissioning of the Lokoja ISTC, even as plans are underway towards the establishment of 36 Industrial Skills Training Centres in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Similarly, three Automotive Parts Production and Training Centres will be established in Badagary, Nnewi and Kaduna while six Centres of Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) will be sited in the six geopolitical zones of the country. Three specialized Centres in Oil and Gas will also be established. All these projects are expected to be completed between 2018 and 2020.

    Sir Ari’s body language shows that Nigeria is in a hurry to join the industrialised nations of the world where the populace will be trained and retrained to meet needs of the people. With this spirit, Sir Ari said,  ”barely one month in office, Management unveiled a ‘home made’ Plan that was wholly generated internally by staff’.

    The plan, which is tagged as the ITF Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Actualisation of Mandate is captured in quick wins, Medium and long-term goals. A number of programmes have been earmarked for implementation as quick wins. They include:

    • National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) which commenced in 18 states of the federation on 1stMarch, 2017.
    • Technical Skills Development Programme (TSDP) in collaboration with NECA.
    • Skills training on wheels using our Mobile Training Units.
    • Training people to turn passion to profession.
    • Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP) and
    • Development Agricultural Entrepreneurs (Agripreneur).

    In addition to these, we shall continue to identify the training needs of our contributing employers and develop cost effective training programmes as intervention strategies in line with our mandate. Scheduled and unscheduled training programmes will be implemented in our thirty seven (37) Area Offices and five (5) Industrial Skills Training Centres.  Safety programmes will be promoted and implemented for companies based on identified needs. We shall also continue to render any service required by public and private sectors as contained in our mandate.”

    Since Sir Ari assumed office, as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, ITF has witnessed many unemployed youths being trained and graduating from various skill acquisition centres of the Industrial Training Fund, ranging from Tailoring and Fashion Design, Carpentry and Joinery, Interior Decoration and Bag making.  Sir Ari’s mandate is huge, but the tasks are achievable based on his deep inside ITF knowledge and wherewithal.

    Nigeria should rest assured the core mandate will be achieved to the fullest. Sir Ari achieved greatness through sheer hard work, honesty and commitment. As a lawyer, business administrator and broadcaster par excellence, eloquent scholar and patriot, he is also selfless, humble to a fault, and a team player. It is his philosophy that managers/leaders should at all times live exemplary lives of service and add value always. He is focused on ensuring that the Fund staff work towards the full actualisation of the mandate, which is necessary for any organisation to thrive. In fact, he strongly believes the Fund has a serious role to play in helping to get the country out of economic recession.