The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sector

  • Overhaul of ‘death’ sector

    Overhaul of ‘death’ sector

    This is a column that seeks to mould, shape societal values and to protect the interests of consumers, citizens and touch other broader relevant topics under the column: ‘TRUE VALUE 360’. It is an interactive column as suggestions, complaints; day to day experiences are welcome.

    This week’s edition is OVERHAUL OF ‘DEATH’ SECTOR

    Medical doctors in government hospitals from various state chapters in Nigeria have been embarking on strike otherwise known as industrial action on and off in Nigeria in the past decades, so the ongoing is not the first nor is it likely to be the last. What kind of calamity or curse is upon the nation that we ignore essential sectors such as health? What kind of evil, accursed leadership have we bestowed upon ourselves over time that we no longer care about human lives? Singular or plural, we cannot create a single breath of life, so why should we not have an effective health system to save lives. Crisis today, ditto tomorrow, the bottom line is somebody somewhere has pocketed funds meant to improve health services just like in other sectors. I cry for my beloved country, the health sector is fast becoming the death sector.

    As long as public servants are not accountable or prosecuted for actions or inactions, impunity will continue to reign indefinitely in the land. Few weeks back, there was no single bed for admission at the emergency wards in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and patients were seen taking intravenous drips at the back of cars and pickups in the premises of LASUTH. If it were not so pathetic, it would have been funny; at first glance, I thought it was a scene from an over imaginative Nollywood director.

    The doctors, obeying the directive from their national headquarters, have shunned their duty posts leaving the bulk of the job to the nurses. The strike has crippled medical services in hospitals as patients and their relatives have continued to lament. Patients are then referred to private hospitals owned by same doctors on strike. Is this sabotage? Are these strikes illegal? Who is to blame? Are the doctors defying their oaths?

    Something must give way; heads MUST roll as so many lives have been lost courtesy of incessant strikes in our nation and inadequate management of medical facilities.

    Government on her part must provide enabling environment such as uninterrupted power supply, living wages, subsidised or free health services etc. Nothing stops Nigerian citizens from having health insurance if it is properly worked out. Health is one of the reasons Nigerians migrate abroad, refuse to come back and are subjected to various demeaning lifestyles just to stay abroad. Public servants must be banned from seeking health services abroad except on exceptional cases, this will allow us to look inwards and improve our health system.

    A negligent or corrupt health administrator is the same as a hard drug pusher, they are both leading human brings to slow but steady death closer than their God ordained time. Only, tried and tested citizens with integrity should be considered for such sensitive positions of health administration and where they are still found wanting should be brought to book.

    This change train must put health on its priority hierarchy and the common man including women, children must have unconditional access to adequate health facilities and drugs. Corrupt health workers who sell free donated drugs to patients before attending to them should be reported and penalised. If you know such officials, kindly send us a mail.

  • 55 years on… Nigeria’s retail sector expands

    55 years on… Nigeria’s retail sector expands

    After surviving initial scare, especially the economic turbulence of the mid 1980s, Nigeria’s retail sector has now grown in leaps and bounds, attracting not only foreign brands, but also the innovative information technology era of online shopping.  TONIA ‘DIYAN writes on the advancement.  

    For urbane Nigerians born uptil 1980, iconic departmental stores like Kingsway, UTC, Leventis, Chellarams, amongst a few others, cannot be erased easily from their memories. These stores not only dotted the major streets of Lagos until the mid 1980s, they also represented the best of retail outlets in the country. From sales of groceries to household equipments, these stores provided quality service and products to Nigerians, irrespective of their social standing in the society.

    Yet, these stores still had much more to offer, apart from shopping, as people visited just to catch some fun. For instance, Emmanuel Odusoga, a 45 year old Nigerian, recalls with nostalgia his various visits to the Leventis and UTC stores in Lagos, especially during festive periods like Easter and Christmas celebrations. Yearly, and on such special occasions, Odusoga, in company of his parents, would visit either of these stores and after shopping, he would take a ‘special’ train ride inside the Leventis or UTC building, which takes them through an alley and end up in the “Father Xmas” grotto for a gift to mark the season. Such were the attractions for many shoppers. For these stores, the major appeal was that quality items they had on offer, the centralisation of items, and the affordable prices.

    But consequent upon the country’s economic downturn of the 1980s, most of the foreign investors who owned the stores relocated them to other countries when the environment was no longer conducive for them to manage. And for years, the delight of such stores were lost, as the stores frittered away, giving rise to smaller and indigenous stores.

    Today, shopping has gone beyond merely meeting purchasing needs. The concept of the present day shopping is an improvement of what it used to be especially with exciting one-stop shopping which presents the convenience and unique experience of retail, leisure, entertainment, movies, games and health.

    Moving forward, the fastest growing format for shops today is the mall-huge, convenient and comprehensive. Nigeria, like the western world is beginning to have a piece of the action. Western styles shopping malls indeed, have come to stay.  With globalization, trade became established in cities across the country.

    Long after, Mega Plaza Shopping mall, Victoria Island Lagos came up. Asides a comfortable ambiance, quality service delivery was one of its treasured strategy.

    It prides itself as the leading shopping mall and has a Super Mega Supermarket, several shops, Ultra modern car park, local and foreign restaurants. It became a recreation spot for shoppers, especially the elites. It also served as a haven for whites who work with the oil companies and other big foreign investments; and of course, fun loving Nigerians.

    The opening of The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos in 2005 brought more excitement and the presence Shoprite and Game as the anchor tenants gave the mall a boost. Game, a discount retail chain, occupies the largest space at about 5,495m², while its rival, Shoprite also sits on an equally ample space. While Game stocks a wide range of merchandise from groceries, electronics, furniture and other household goods, Shoprite, concerns itself with mainly fast-moving consumer goods. Both manifest all the indices of a ramified departmental store complete with an in-house bakery, a fast-food section and different sections for a wide range of goods.

    Shortly after, Europe’s largest retail network, SPAR, also opened its first outlet in Nigeria, at Lekki, Lagos, in a partnership with, Park ‘n’ Shop, a Nigerian retail store owned by the Artee Group. It operates from a 3,000 m² shopping complex, attracting shoppers with moderate to high income profiles. Many see it as a healthy rival to Shoprite in terms of grocery shopping.

    Stores such as Goodies, Addide, Justrite, Home Affairs Surpermarket, Delightsome Gifts Concepts and G-Mall, among others, also made shopping a delight in the various areas where they are located.

    State governments have established free trade zones with several states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory partaking in the development, as retail outlets are being established in some of these states.

    The Silverbird Galleria, a huge shopping and entertainment centre, which mounted its first structure on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, has also replicated itself bigger in Abuja and working with some state governments to establish in other states. It also replicated itself in Yaba area of Lagos as E- Centre to serve people living in Lagos Mainland, in shopping malls scattered across the country as well.

    On the prospects of the malls development in Nigeria, Center Manager Ikeja mall, Sander Norman expressed optimism about the development of shopping malls adding: “What matters to us is great service delivery to fulfill optimum satisfaction of our customers”. He further stated that, giving the fact that Nigeria is a vast country with great human and material resources, the development of shopping malls would definitely increase.

    Former Broll Cheif, Mrs Erejuwa Gbadebo once said countries like Indonesia and China were developing like Nigeria, but over the years, have remained consistent with development, expressing optimism that Nigeria would improve if the right steps are taken. She noted: “The local brands will enjoy the benefit of being introduced in the formal supply chain. They will become more competitive in terms of price and quality. The trickle-down effect will include better packaging and presentation of Made-in-Nigeria products.”  All these prediction are now playing out.

    Gbadebo foresaw more retail chains making their entry into the eye-catching market. “More foreign investors will come in to compete, franchises will come in from the US, Europe and South East Asia, especially Singapore, in the next few years. These enterprises will be encouraged by the success stories of retail chains and the steadfast appetite of Nigerians for consumer goods,” she said.

    Chief Executive Officer, Delightsome Gifts Concept, Gbagada, Lagos, Mrs Modupe Shopeju said: “Nigeria’s retail environment has achieved considerable growth over time and this can mainly be attributed to the population, which is generating increasing demands of products in the country.

    Another factor of growth in Nigeria’s retail industry is the high rate of sophistication of consumers; people are more sophisticated now, therefore, there is the tendency that there will be demand for more quality and trusted products.

    The improvement in Nigeria’s economy today is leading to an increase in purchasing power, as well as an encouragement in international retails.

  • Surgeon seeks improved health sector 

    Surgeon seeks improved health sector 

    A renowned surgeon at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozallla, Enugu State Prof. Arthur Ikeme has said that unless health sector funding improves, the Millennium Development Goals will never be achieved.

    Speaking after receiving the 2015 Gold Merit Award of the Rotary Club of Enugu, Prof. Ikeme of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology observed that due to poor funding, managers of most government hospitals in the country lack modern facilities and do not run the hospitals effectively.

    He stated that apart from inadequate medical equipment, hospital administrators have no funds to meet their financial obligations to staff and medical personnel, giving rise to incessant industrial actions by labour unions.

    He said, “Nigerians will save the huge foreign exchange they spend travelling abroad to access care if our health institutions are properly equipped and the medical personnel well motivated with improved incentives”.

    The medical practitioner, who is also a senior lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), also identified multiple taxation and hostile economic environment as some of the factors stifling private sector investment in the sector.

    He called on government to waive import duties on the importation of key medical equipment needed in hospitals.

    Famous economist, Prof. Ukwu I. Ukwu, chairman of the medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Prof. Jonathan Azubuike, Dr. Izuchukwu Okam of UNTH, former club presidents, chief Vincent Odo, Mr. Peter Umeano, Lady Clair Asogwa, current president, Mr. Daniel Ukwu and former chairman of Awgu Local government area in Enugu state, chief. Uche Cyril Anioke were among dignitaries who attended the event.

    Also present at the occasion were the former provost, College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Prof. Nene Obianyo, Chief Medical Director of St. Mary’s Hospital Enugu, Dr. Dan Ajawara, secondary school students, former president Rotary club of New Haven, Dr. Eddy Ndibuagu, as well as members of the Prof. Arthur Ikeme’s family from Oraukwu, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

     

  • ‘Inconsistent policy threatens 11m non-oil sector jobs’

    Inconsistent policy is threatening the growth of non-oil exports, which employ over 11 million people, Executive Secretary of Organised Private Sector Exporters Association (OPEXA), Jaiyeola Olarewaju, has said.

    He told The Nation that statistics showed that non-oil exports, which are agro-allied, have declined by about 20 per cent.

    The growth in the sector between 2006 and 2013, he said, was being hampered by inconsistencies in the implementation of government policy, which are aggravating the already precarious job situation.

    “Non-oil exports showed remarkable growth from $1 billion in 2006 to about $3 billion in 2013 in foreign exchange. The bulk of non-oil exports which are agro-allied, employ over 11 million Nigerians, directly and indirectly thus boosting the agriculture income.

    “However, this growth is being hampered by inconsistencies in implementing the government policy on non oil sector. For instance, the extant policy on the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and the utilisation of the Negotiable Duty Credit Certificates (NDCC) has been put on hold.

    “The recent statistics showed that the sector has declined by 10 per cent to 20 per cent, between 2014 and 2015, aggravating the already precarious forex situation. This is a threat to over 11 million direct and indirect jobs,” he said.

    Olanrewaju pointed out that the huge backlog of unutilised NDCC’s amounting to over N150 billion for over two years has paralysed the exporters’operations, adding that the liquidity crisis led to a fall in demand for agricultural commodities. Nigeria’s image as a reliable international trade partner, he said, has been affected.

    He asked the government to direct the Nigeria Customs Service to accept utilisation of NDCC for duty payment as per extant policy. The meeting of the inter-ministerial committee on EEG, Olanrewaju said, should be reconvened with the Organisation Private Sector (OPS), adding that  the Federal Ministry of Finance should treat the backlog of NDCC in a time-bound manner.

    “We (OPEXA) are convinced that the only way out for the country to disentangle itself from the shackles of mono-economy is to diversify its exports sector.

    “We will like to collaborate with government , all its agencies and other private sector organisation to further boost the expansion of non oil exports,” he said.

    Olanrewaju, former director-general of Textile Manufactures Association of Nigeria (TMAN), said manufacturers would still be in business if the quality of import could be controlled. Local products, he added, are of higher standard than imported ones

    Importers, Olanrewaju said, were fond of bringing low quality materials at ridiculous prices, making it difficult for locally manufactured products to attract patronage.

    “The truth is that we cannot compete because we are at 40 per cent disadvantage in terms of production cost. The foreign manufacturers don’t pay levies, taxes and other tariff to government to bring these items into the country. They only bribe their way. This is despite the fact that cost of production is low in the originating country.

    “All these are making imported textile to be cheaper in the market, and our products cannot compete with the cheap and low quality foreign products. So, they need to check the quality of imported products. If they fail to check smuggling of imported textile materials, this policy will eventually kill the local industry,” he said.

  • ‘There’s need to revamp agric sector’

    A sensitisation exercise tagged: “Revamping Agricultural Sector in Nigeria Through Aggressive Industrial Farm Park Project”, was held recently in Lagos, organised by the management of 1.2 Green Limited in partnerships with Chinese Government Export Credit.

    The exercise, according to the organisers, was organised to discuss ways in revamping the Agricultural sector through aggressive industrial farm park project.

    According to Mr Obada Votu, CEO 1.2 Green Ltd, expressing the company’s readiness and willingness to assist the government in resuscitating this crucial sector stated, “This crucial sector should not be neglected, but should be given the needed attention. Nigerian became a net importer of food and major importer of wheat, rice, sugar and fish. The importation of these four commodities, according to reports, consume over N1 trillion in foreign exchange every year since 2005.

    “The CBN report shows that Nigeria is the world largest importer of United States hard red and white winter wheat, with an annual food import of N635billion. Nigeria’s food imports are growing at an unsustainable rate of 11 per cent per annum, while reliance on the import of expensive food in the global market fuels domestic inflation, and Nigeria is importing what it can produce in abundance. And that import dependency is hurting Nigeria’s farmers, displacing local production and creating rising unemployment,” he added

    Stating further that, there is need for stakeholders to reduce the importation of these products that can be produced in Nigeria. “Nigeria spends N1 trillion annually to import rice, sugar, wheat and fish, translating to N10 trillion from 2005 till date.

    The Nation has vast arable land for cultivation, adding that this must be harnessed by stakeholders in order to effectively prevent food crisis considering the growing population and reduce imports to the barest minimum.

  • NABG urges CBN, DMBs to invest more in agric sector

    The Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to pay more attention to investment in the agriculture sector and help government diversity the economy away from oil.

    This was the position of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG Associates Unlimited), the brainchild of a 23 member Executive Leadership Group headed by major players in the Agro allied sector.

    NABG Chairman, Sani Dangote explained that with the current low prices in oil, agriculture is inevitably the way forward for development adding that with the formation of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, the group now has a platform to address challenges and find solutions to issues pertaining to the agric industry.

    He spoke at the group’s maiden Annual General Meeting held in Lagos, with theme: “Setting Policy direction, Strengthening Agriculture and Agribusiness Associations, Engaging Strategic Partners and Donors.

    He said the group was created as an organized private sector platform to lead in all matters affecting agricultural stakeholders in Nigeria through setting of policy directions, engaging policy and decision makers in government at all levels and forging strategic partnerships with public and private sector groups across Africa and the world.

    NABG Co-ordinator, Emmanuel Ijewere praised every partner who contributed to the formation of the association. “We appreciate the support of every partner which has led to the formation of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group and look forward to engagements with relevant stakeholders as it concerns the industry” he said.

  • Corruption in health sector

    SIR: The impact of corruption in the health sector in general is relatively well documented. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates that corruption undermines the cost, volume and quality of public service delivery, undermining the access and quality of patient care.

    Diverted resources reduce the level of resources and investments available for the public health system on which most vulnerable populations are more reliant on.

    Resources drained from health budget through embezzlement, fraud and corruption reduce the funding available for salaries, health services and maintenance, contributing to lower staff motivation, quality of care and declining service availability and use.

    Corruption delays and reduces the vaccination of new-borns, discourages the use of public health clinics, reduces satisfaction of households with public health services and increases waiting times at health clinics.

    A ten percent increase in corruption reduces immunisation rates by 10 to 20 %. Reducing corruption can result in significant social gains as measured by decreases in child and infant mortality rates, as well as percent of low-birth weight babies.

    In Geneva, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance that provides funding to increase access to immunisation for children in the world’s poorest countries, released its Nigerian audit report that covered the expenditures incurred and procurement activities conducted at the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and States in the fiscal years 2011-2013.

    Gavi as an organisation has a zero tolerance approach to misuse of funds. The Cash Programme Audit (CPA) of Gavi’s programme in Nigeria determined that US$ 2.2 million had been misused. In accordance with the joint letter of understanding and in line with Gavi and Nigeria’s Partnership Framework Agreement (PFA), co-signed by the then Minister of Health, the then Minister of Finance and the Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Gavi requested reimbursement of the identified US$ 2.2 million and this has since been fully reimbursed.

    Effectively, US$ 2.2 million had been misused by Nigerian officials and has had to be refunded by the Nigerian government. Shameful as this is, more worrying is the lack of conscience of officials who have misappropriated funds meant to save lives.

     

    • Professor Rotimi Jaiyesimi is

    Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety

    Basildon University Hospital

    Essex, England.

  • Senate raises panel to review aviation sector

    • Upper Chamber begins six-week holiday

    Worried by what it called a “worrisome and unstable position of the aviation industry, the Senate yesterday raised a committee to take a critical and holistic examination of the sector.

    The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) on “The worrisome and unstable position of the Nigerian aviation industry.”

    Na’Allah said that the Senate should be worried that the growth and development of domestic airline operators in the country has remained stunted, praying the  chamber to ensure total review of the extant laws which guide the operations of domestic and international airlines in the country.

    He listed Sosoliso, Concord, Slok, Okada, Chanchangi as some of the airlines in the country that liquidated a few years after take-off.

    In his contribution, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu, said that despite the recent infrastructure upgrade carried out by the last administration on some major airports, Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport remains one of most ill-equipped in sub-Sahara Africa.

    Ekweremmadu noted that “Nigerians are very active people, so our transport sector must be very active.”

    He stressed that the need to sustain a national career at least for the image of the country.

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) also said that “a National Carrier is not just about the economy, it is the pride of the Nation.”

    He urged the Senate to investigate all former interventions in the aviation sector.

    Senator David Jonah Jang told the chamber that airline operators allegedly diverted the money meant for the resuscitation of the industry into other sectors, leaving their airlines in a state of comatose.

    The investigation committee is to be headed by Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano Central), while others members are: senators Chukwuka Utazi, Bala Na’Alla, and Akanbi Adesoji and Stella Odua (Anambra North.

    Meanwhile the Senate adjourned plenary to resume on September 29, 2015.

    The upper chamber resumed plenary on July 28 from their July 25 adjournment.

    The Senator had earlier adjourned plenary of two previous occasions after their controversial inauguration of June 9th, 2015.

    Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume, however described the six week recess as normal. He said that the upper legislative chamber used to adjourn for eight weeks, but they decided to go for only six weeks.

    He said that no meaning should be read into the recess because it was not unusual.

    On their moved to amend the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Act, Ndume said that it was meant to block all the loopholes of leakages in the Act.

  • Committees on sector revitalisation submit report

    The four National Committees on the revitalisation of the sector have submitted their reports.

    The committees included the Resuscitation of Cotton, Textile and Garments, Strategic Action Plan for the Development of Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes Nationwide and Revitalisation of Agricultural Extension Services in Nigeria.

    For instance, the Committee on the Resuscitation Cotton, Textile and Garments (CTG) called for the injection of N37.20 billion in the sector between 2016 and 2019 as well as the exploitation of the existing N100billion CTG fund domiciled with the Bank of Industry(BoI), which has been converted to equity.

    This, the committee said, would support as working capital/retooling of textile mills and resuscitation of about 80 closed mills as well as 23 closed ginneries.

    The N37.20billion, the committee said, should be used to support all sections of the cotton, textile and garments sector.

    It emphasised the improvement of cotton production through financial support for the Institute for Agriculture Research of the Ahmadu Bello University to upgrade its facilities and build the staff capacity.

    It also recommended financial support for the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) to enable it deploy Biotechnology (BT) Cotton at confined fields at trial level while the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Introgress BT Protein in varieties as well as produce of double haploid cotton.

    On Cotton seed multiplication and seed supply, the Committee recommended a breeder foundation and certified seed regeneration system, mandating the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) to regulate the industry.

    Part of the recommendation of the committee on ginnery development was for ginneries to work with the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA) through the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) to boost seed cotton and lint.

    On seed cotton marketing, the Agriculture Ministry (FMARD) and Ministry of Trade and Investment (FMITT) called for the establishment of the Cotton Corporation of Nigeria (CCN) to revive Cotton Production and Competitiveness.

    The committee on Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes Nationwide observed the enormous challenges, including urbanisation, lack of right to land, increased livestock production activities which have limited the success envisaged from the various interventions, called for the establishment of a National Programme on Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes development; strengthening of existing conflict resolution and prevention mechanisms.

  • Gas sector needs robust policy framework, says DPR

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said the gas sector needs robust and appropriate policy framework to enable the country harness the opportunities and benefits in its abundant gas resource.

    Its Deputy Director, Gas Monitoring and Regulation, Mr. Antigha Ekaluo who spoke in Lagos yesterday at the 2015 Business Forum and Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Gas Association (NGA) said only a good policy could move the sector forward . The theme of this year’s Business Forum is Harnessing and monetising the potential of stranded gas fields.

    Ekaluo said effective gas sector policy will give Nigeria the ability to harness opportunities in the sector and will afford the country the opportunity to enjoy maximum value from its stranded gas resources. Nigeria, he said, is endowed with abundant gas resources and the sector holds huge potentials for unprecedented growth.

    He said: “The existing legal and regulatory framework, written primarily for oil does not provide robust technical and commercial framework for gas. There is therefore the need to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law, which will underpin the ongoing sector reforms.

    The gas sector policies will provide Nigeria with the opportunity to harness and get maximum value from its stranded gas resources.”

    He said effective gas sector development remains a strong catalyst for growth of the economy. Besides, such growth will also have a multiplier effect on the Nigerian economy, he added.

    In harnessing and monetising stranded gas, Ekaluo said there is need to adopt new technologies, adding that government should also deepen market penetration, sustain demand growth and also vigorously pursue the completion of gas gathering and utilisation projects. He said there is urgent need to address gaps in regulatory and commercial frameworks across the gas value chain.

    The Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE), Nigeria Council, Mr. Emeka Ene said to achieve effective  strategy for monetising stranded gas, there is need to identify and secure country’s closest markets and develop an integrated flare-out model.