The Nation Newspaper

Tag: seeks

  • Otti seeks investment in aviation

    Otti seeks investment in aviation

    The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti, has called for more investments in the aviation sector to boost the economy.

    Otti made the call at the just-concluded Aviation Investment Forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Aviation to showcase opportunities for stakeholder buy-in in the sector. It was sponsored by Diamond Bank Plc.

    Otti said: “Investment in aviation is a gateway into foreign investments particularly as it is the major entrance route for investors.

    “The opportunities in the sector are incredible such as serving as a maintenance hub for other countries in Africa, building new airports and downstream services in all the airports.

    “For the individual, investment in aviation means safer travel, quicker services so you don’t have to sleep at the airport just because you want to travel, reduced fares due to robust competition and convenience.”

  • Chamber seeks more incentives for SMEs

    The Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) has called for “appropriate incentives’’ to encourage the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

    ABUCCIMA President, Mr Solomon Nyagba, who made the call in Abuja at a news conference ahead of Nigeria’s Centenary Trade Fair, said the call became necessary in view of the critical role played by SMEs in the sustainable growth and development of the economy.

    “We commended the efforts of the present administration in transforming the economy. We still appeal that appropriate incentives should be put in place to further encourage the development of small and medium enterprise, adding that the request became imperative as SMEs are veritable tools that can be used to boost and improve the country’s economy.

    He urged the government at all levels to give priority to the development of the country’s infrastructure, especially in the road and power sectors to give businesses the needed leverage.

    SMEs contributed 46.54 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a 2012 enterprise baseline survey.

    The survey was conducted by the Pro-poor Growth and Promotion Programme in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    According to the survey, there are over 17million SMEs in the country as at the end of 2012, employing 32, 414, 884 persons.

    Nyagba said the Nigeria’s Centenary Trade Fair tagged, ‘Celebrating Creative Industrial Excellence in Production and Innovation through Unity in Diversity,’ is targeted mainly at made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

    “The fair is aimed at showcasing the huge strides Nigeria has made in the scientific, technological, industrial, manufacturing and innovation activities.

    He said it’s an avenue to showcase the vast and varied agricultural, mineral and other natural resources available in the country. It will equally provide a forum for business interactions, networking and match-making in order to consolidate on the tremendous achievements already recorded in the various sectors of the economy since Nigeria came into being, he stated.

    Nyagba said participation in the fair is expected from over 1,000 local and foreign exhibitors, including research institutes, government agencies, higher institutions and players in the manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.

     

  • Group seeks fee review in LASU

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Education Rights Campaign (ERC), has urged the Lagos State Government to reverse the hike in fees at the Lagos State University (LASU).

    It made the plea in a six-point communiqué signed by its Coordinator, Mr. Hassan Sowetos and Chairman, Save LASU Campaign Committee, Mr Sulaimon Adeyemi, in Lagos.

    “The fee hike is anti-poor and has not led to any noticeable improvement in facilities and teaching infrastructures in LASU. Rather it has led to a sharp decline in the fortunes of LASU with many departments and programs now facing possible rationalisation and closure because of the few number of students applying for them or being able to pick up offer of admission as a result of high fees.

    ‘’The sharp decline in student enrolment has also seriously threatened the jobs of both academic and non-academic staff in the university,” Soweto said.

    He added that without reversing the fees, there is no guarantee that the same crisis or something far higher than that will not occur in future.

    He also called for the immediate re-opening of the campus for students to register and write their examinations, while urging the state government to increase the funding and to ensure the democratic management of the institution. He also advised the government to carry out the repairs of property allegedly vandalised during the protest, with proceeds of the caution fee paid by the students.

    “We say no to victimisation of any student of the institution; payment of reparation and written and publicised apology letters from the university management and the Lagos State government, to the students.

    The group agreed “to begin active mobilisation of all LASU students, parents and members of the public to partner with civil society organisations, the university’s staff unions and trade unions, to redress the injustice contained in the resolutions of the Lagos State House of Assembly’’, insisting that the causes of the protests of January 22 and 23, was the inability of no fewer than 1,292 students to register, and the outrageous fee hike by the government.

    The group said the fee hike, which came into effect in 2011, was anti-poor, and had not led to improvement in facilities in the institution.

    The authorities of the institution on January 24, ordered the indefinite closure of LASU, following a violent protest by students over the earlier-mentioned reasons.

  • Jonathan seeks speedy passage of 2014 Budget

    Jonathan seeks speedy passage of 2014 Budget

    • Senators kick            • Reps slate debate for next week                  • PIB ready in April 

    While President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged National Assembly members to expedite action on the 2014 Appropriation Bill, some Senators are of the view that the document should be thrown out completely.

    The Senators, among them,Ajayi Boroffice and Babafemi Ojudu, flayed the high recurrent expenditure, poor sectoral allocations, and total disregard to the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    However, Jonathan said its early passage will ensure his administration delivers dividends of democracy to Nigerians

    The President who spoke through the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, at a stakeholders forum of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, said the SURE-P programme has become a critical unit of his administration’s transformation agenda, adding that his administration will continue to improve on the state of infrastructural in the country.

    “Let me appeal to Senator Ningi who chairs the Senate committee on SURE-P, to please help urge his colleagues in the National Assembly to expedite consideration of the 2014 budget which is currently before them in order for us to continue to deliver dividends of democracy to our people,”

    Apart from the programme’s massive intervention in railway, road construction and health among other areas, he said that over 190,000 youths have so far been employed under various categories.

    While Senators Boroffice and Ojudu, called for the outright rejection of the budgeejection of the budget, Senators Ifeanyi Okowa, Kabiru Gaya and James Manager, faulted certain sections in the document, but recommended that it be committed to the relevant committees for further legislative scrutiny.

    Senator Boroffice who chairs the Science and Technology Committee, bemoaned the poor allocation for Science and Technology and argued that the development was not the right direction to transform the economy.

    Ojudu noted that those who packaged the budget did not comply with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which was passed by the National Assembly as a guide for the budget preparation.

    Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Okowa, warned his colleagues against their persistent condemnation of the budget because funds were earmarked to certain projects that could alleviate the suffering of the masses.

    His Niger Delta Affairs counterpart, Senator Manager, advised the lawmakers against comparing allocation to Niger Delta and other geo-political zones because the area was providing 90 per cent of the nation’s resources.

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives would commence the debate on the general principles of the 2014 budget on Tuesday, 4 January 2014, the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal has said.

    According to the Spokesman of the House, Zakari Mohammed yesterday at a weekly media briefing, said the consideration of the budget initially slated for this week was dropped in favour of the voting on the constitution amendment report.

    “It was put on hold so that the voting on the constitution amendment would be concluded. Now that we have concluded work on it, by Tuesday, we will commence debate on the budget”, he said.

    He also said Nigerians should expect the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by April.

    “The PIB is high on our agenda and it is very important to us going by what it portends for our economy.

    “We are desirous of presenting a PIB that can meet the yearning and aspirations of the host communities, governments, oil companies and other stakeholders.

    “We are looking at somewhere around April so that we can have a PIB for the Nigerian people.

  • Rivers Assembly seeks stay of proceedings in suit against allocation

    The Rivers State House of Assembly has urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stay further proceedings in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to restrain the Federal Government or its agents from further releasing any local government fund to the state government.

    The lawmakers, in a motion filed by their lawyer, Eric Apia, are praying the court to stay proceedings in the suit, pending the determination of the appeal they filed against a ruling of Justice Evoh Chukwu.

    The judge, on November 29, last year, in an ex-parte ruling, abridged to seven days the 30 days provided in the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act within which a respondent could enter appearance in a case.

    The lawmakers averred that the judge and the PDP lacked the powers to abridge time for them to enter appearance and defend themselves in the matter.

    They, therefore, prayed the court to stay proceedings, saying it was important to preserve the res pending the determination of their appeal.

    The application could not be heard last Thursday because of the recent reassignment of the case to another judge. The case was reassigned to Justice Gabriel Kolawole the previous day by the Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, following a petition by a party in the case, questioning the conduct of Justice Chukwu.

    It was learnt that Justice Kolawole would now notify the parties of the new hearing date.

    Other defendants are: the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Rivers State Governor and the state’s Attorney-General.

    Rivers PDP Chairman Felix Obuah, in a supporting affidavit, said Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, allegedly acting with the Assembly, was planning to dissolve the local governments and install caretaker committees in the place of elected officials to run the councils.

    Obuah argued that since, by the provision of the Constitution, local governments are to be managed by elected officials, the governor’s alleged plan to impose appointed officials on the local governments, as caretaker committees, was unconstitutional.

    The plaintiff, who raised four questions for the court’s determination, prayed for, among others, an order restraining the AGF, the IGP and their agents from denying the democratically elected officials of the local governments access to their offices.

    He also urged the court to prevent the defendants from disturbing the elected officials from carrying out their official responsibilities.

    It prayed the court to declare that the governor or the state government was not empowered to dissolve the democratically constituted local governments and replace them with caretaker committees or management committees.

    The party urged the court to declare that by the provision of the constitution, only the democratically elected local governments are entitled to allocation from funds standing to the credit of local governments in the Federation Account.

    The 23 local government chairmen in the state had objected to the suit. They described it as PDP’s attempt to worsen the political crisis in the state by crippling the local governments.

  • Jonathan seeks inclusive economic growth for Africa

    Jonathan seeks inclusive economic growth for Africa

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Davos, Switzerland, said African governments must accord the highest possible priority to promoting inclusive economic growth on the continent.

    Jonathan, who spoke in a televised debate at the World Economic Forum, also said according the continent’s economic growth, such priority is important to avoid problems associated with poverty and financial equality in the continent.

    According to him, his administration is doing a lot to enhance inclusive growth in Nigeria through policies and programmes that focus on wealth creation, rather than poverty alleviation.

    Asked to rank the importance of inclusive growth in Africa on a scale of one to 1o, Jonathan and the other participants in the debate, which had “Africa’s Next Billion” as its theme, agreed that it deserved a ranking of 10.

    In the statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan, said: “Economic inclusion is very important and we are already taking necessary steps to improve financial inclusion in our country. Transforming our agricultural sector is one way in which we are doing so.

    “We are doing all that we can to transform agriculture in Nigeria into a much more productive and job creating sector. We are also working to create more inclusive wealth through better education, skills acquisition programmes and policies that encourage the addition of value to our primary products before exportation,” he said.

    Since Africa’s population is projected to exceed two billion by 2050, he said wealth creation and job creation must remain at the top of the continent’s developmental agenda.

     

    President Jonathan, President John Mahama of Ghana, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and other participants in the debate agreed that the objective of achieving more inclusive economic growth will be better served if African leaders take more positive action towards boosting intra-African trade.

    They said that the current situation in which only eleven per cent of Africa’s total trade takes place within the continent is unacceptable.

    Jonathan said that African leaders must do everything possible to remove all impediments to trade amongst African countries including inadequate air and ground transportation links between their countries.

    Contributing further to the debate which focused on actions and measures that need to be taken by African countries to sustain their currently positive economic growths in the face of changing demographics, President Jonathan said that all stakeholders in the continent must continue to work for greater security and political stability which are prerequisites for sustained socio-economic development.

    He said: “Security and political stability are key to development. Investors will not come to any country that is insecure or politically unstable. Happily, many African countries now enjoy political stability. It is a major reason for the positive economic growth rates which we are now witnessing on the continent and we must continue do our best to maintain and expand the frontiers of political stability on our continent.”

    While Africa’s private sector must play a greater role in driving economic growth on the continent, he also said thatgovernments must remain pro actively engaged in evolving and implementing policies that will enable businesses to thrive and create more wealth on the continent.

    Speaking to journalists after the debate, Jonathan said that the World Economic Forum on Africa which will take place in Abuja in May this year will provide a great platform for further exhibiting the immense economic potentials of Nigeria and the West African sub-region to the world’s leading investors and companies.

    Jonathan was received by the founder of the World Economic Forum, Dr. Klaus Schwab.

     

  • Jonathan seeks computerisation of land registry

    Jonathan seeks computerisation of land registry

    President Goodluck Jonathan has called for the computerisation of land registry in the country to ease land administration.

    Speaking during the Presidential launch of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company PLC yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Jonathan said such computerisation of land registry will go a long way to facilitate house construction and sale by private developers.

    According to him, it will bridge the funding cost of residential mortgages and promote affordable housing for Nigerians.

    Also calling for a reduction of land registration cost, he harped on the need to stream in order to ensure quick completion of foreclosure processes.

    He advised state governors to consider delegating land consent in their states to speed up the process of land acquisition.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Industrialist seeks govt’s support on single digit interest rate

    The Federal Government has been urged to mandate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that the real sector obtains loans at single digit interest rate to avert further strangulation and total collapse of business activities in the economy.

    The Group Executive Director, Golding Hamed Holdings, Chief Adebayo Hamed, who stated this, also urged the government to restructure all export-related agencies to take further stimulus measures and support industries to expand export in the country.

    Adebayo urged the government to introduce new incentives and as well implement existing concessionary duty rates on raw materials not available in the country.

    On energy supply, he bemoaned what he called the recurring debacle of unavailable and un-sustainable power, which he said has prevented the manufacturing sector from attain its full capacity to operate optimally. He said the cost of providing alternate power is so prohibitive that it leaves the manufacturer with no significant profit margin for his efforts.

    He said: “The government should also ensure the immediate crafting of a national policy on gas pricing that will eliminate monopoly and reduce the number of beneficiaries on the value chain.

    He affirmed that what qualifies a nation for the tag ‘developed economy’ is the presence of a virile manufacturing sector, adding that Nigeria would remain in the community of developing countries except the enabling environment required for manufacturing to thrive is created.

    He urged the government to urgently consider some of the issues militating against manufacturing and put in place a mechanism that will bring down the cost of doing business and enhance trade facilitation.

  • NBC seeks N68b for digital switch-over

    NBC seeks N68b for digital switch-over

    The National Broacasting Commission (NBC) said yesterday in Abuja that it would require N68billion to accomplish the digital switch-over (DSO) as directed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It is irrevocably committed to achieving the July 17th 2015 deadline set by the global telecoms body, the NBC said.

    Its Director General, Emeka Mba, said the agency has put the necessary machineries in motion to achieve DSO by December 31st of this year so that any shortcomings woould have been addressed before ITU’deadline.

    He said Jos, the capital of Plateau State, has been chosen to run the pilot of the project’s implementation expected to happen in June.

    According to him, the embattled city was chosen because it has the complements of a mixed bag of both private and public broadcast stations that this will happen in June.

    He said: ”Digital switchover is a huge programme that requires a lot of funding. This perhaps explains the slow speed of DSO in most African countries. “We are exploring ways of generating the funds. We are looking at government, we are working towards raidsing funds from the private sector too  through licensing. We are also looking at getting a portion of the funds that will come from the digital dividends expected to come from freeing spectrum for telecoms.”

    The DG said DSO provides both challenges and opportunities for players in the industry as, according to him, it will send people who cannot think outside the box out of business while opening up new vistas of business opportunities for the country.

    He said DSO is a gradual process that couldn’t be achieved overnight, adding that in the light of the huge geographical spread of the country, satellite technology will inevitably be used.

    Pursuant to this, he said the agency has started discussions with NigComSat, Nigeria’s satellite firm, and other foriegn satellite service providers towards achieving a hitch free DOS.

  • Expert seeks national policy on food processing

    An industry expert has called for a comprehensive national policy on food processing to stimulate private sector investment and increase farm productivity.

    Speaking with The Nation, Assistant Director and Head, General Management Division, Agricultural and Rural Management and Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Ademola Adeyemo said a comprehensive national food processing policy would ensure institutional strengthening, capacity building across the value chain and promote innovation in general.

    He said the level of processing is low across the product categories.

    For this reason, Adeyemo said the nation needs a national food processing policy, which incorporates tax breaks and promotes the development of viable agri-business and agro-industry models based on different agro climates and regions. This initiative will support the development of organised strategic logistics hubs by helping in land acquisition and providing tax incentives/tax holidays tax incentives to multi-modal logistical centres which have manufacturing/exporting capabilities.

    For the policy to be effective, Adeyemo explained, it would have to adopt some measures and this should evolve through detailed discussions between stakeholders across the entire value chain.

    The absence of comprehensive national policy on food processing sector, he noted, has been a critical factor hampering industry’s growth.

    He called on the government to outline a plan to address the low scale of processing activity by setting up mega food parks with integrated facilities for procurement, processing, storage and transport.

    To raise processed product quality to international standards, Adeyemo urged stakeholders to address health concerns and harness export opportunities, establish a network of quality control and testing laboratories as well as testing centres, supported by research and development(R&D) through research institutes.

    According to Adeyemo , the challenges the food processing sector faces are diverse and demanding, and need to be addressed on several fronts to derive maximum market benefits.

    He called on the government to bring all industry incentive policies under single window.

    He urged the government to establish a national bank to lend credit to food processing industries.

    This,Adeyemo noted, would ensure speedy disbursals of funds to food processing sector, which lacks access to credit from banks.

    He called on state governments to play a catalytic role in partnership with banks, financial institutions and technical and management institutions so that small and unorganised players become competitive.

    Adeyemo called for provision of inadequate support infrastructure, which is considered the biggest bottleneck in expanding the food processing sector.These include road, rail and port infrastructure.

    He said there is lack of modern logistics infrastructure, such as parks, integrated cold chain solutions, cold storage and warehousing facilities.

    Without a strong and dependable cold chain, he said, the food processing industry which is based mostly on perishable products cannot survive and grow.