The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sign MoU

  • Fed Govt, Volkswagen sign MoU on automotive hub

    The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with  Volkswagen Group  to develop a joint vision for an automotive hub in Nigeria, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Okechukwu Enalema, has said.

    A statement by the Strategy and Communication Adviser in the ministry, Bisi Daniels, said Volkswagen has undertaken undertake to implement a phased approach in relation to the assembly of vehicles, from assembly kit with the long term view of establishing Nigeria as an automotive hub in the  West African Coast.

    “This will include establishing a training academy in conjunction with the German Government, which will train the initial employees. The academy will also provide broader technical training in automotive skills. It is also intended that a comprehensive Volkswagen vehicle and service network is developed in the country subject to commercial viability, the statement said.

    It added: “In turn the Nigerian Government undertakes to finalise the approval of the Nigerian Automotive Policy, currently under consideration, including the gradual transition from the importation of used cars to the manufacture and distribution of new passenger vehicles.

    It said the government has committed to providing a conducive legislative environment that will encourage the manufacturing of motor vehicles in Nigeria.

    Enalemah said the MoU is a major step in our walk towards the development of a robust automotive industry to achieve its potential contribution to the continuous economic development of the country.

    He said: “We believe in the strategic and catalytic role of the automotive industry in the diversification of the Nigerian economy and we remain committed to encouraging and partnering with relevant stakeholders, especially investors and friends of Nigeria.

    “We will meet our commitments and look forward to welcoming other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) interested in working with us to increase local production, local procurement, and exports.”

    Also, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, said, as Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, Nigeria offers not only a significant domestic market, but also the opportunity of a gateway to the West African market. We are pleased by the progress we have made in our engagement with Volkswagen, and excited to be partnering with a strong stakeholder with a full understanding of the huge potential Nigeria represents.”

  • MAN, Lagos to sign MoU on Safety standards

    TheManufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Ikeja branch is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Safety Commission to ensure that its members comply with accepted safety standard.

    The branch Chairman, Otunba Francis Meshioye, stated this during the private session of the 51st Annual General Meeting of the association at MAN Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.

    He listed agreements contained in the MoU to include the suspension of the use of consultants to audit member companies; registration by the respective companies of all their health, safety and environment managers and officers with the commission at the rate of N10,000 per year.

    According to him, the MoU also provides that registered safety consultants auditing member companies will pay a registration and licence fee of N65,000 while unregistered safety consultants auditing member companies will pay a registration fee of N115,000.

    Safety reports of member companies would only be recognised if submissions are made by registered consultants, he added.

    The MoU would also specify that safety certificate be issued to companies at the cost of N15,000 annually after the companies must have been visited by the harmonised team and found to have met the required standards, the MAN chairman said.

    There would be annual review of safety report at the cost of N10,000, the MAN chapter chairman noted.

    Meanwhile, Meshioye predicted that the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, if implemented the way it is, will only lead to the collapse of the rest of the surviving manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

    He said this in his address presented at the AGM themed “African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement; Impact on the Nigerian manufacturing sector”.

    He decried poor preparations, lack of consultations and non-inclusion of input by key stakeholders as regards market access and enforcement of the rules of origin during the initial negotiations towards the signing of the trade pact.

    He said that until the grey areas identified by stakeholders were properly addressed, signing the agreement would be inimical to the growth and survival of businesses in the country.

    MAN President Dr. Frank Jacobs, in his address, noted that as a concept in principle, the association was not against the AfCFTA agreement, adding that the original contention was that the National Office for Trade Negotiations did not undertake adequate consultation with relevant stakeholders.

    He said the association would continue to negotiate and ensure that the concerns of manufacturers were addressed and were adequately represented at further negotiations before Nigeria would sign the trade pact.

    In a paper delivered by professor of Economics at the University of Ibadan and Chairman, Centre                                                                                                                                                for Trade and Development Initiatives (CTDI), Bodija, Ademela Oyejide, he said attention should be paid to the projected adjustment costs, the current state of the productive sectors, especially manufacturing in terms of their capacity for absorbing increased import competition as well as for effectively responding to emerging market access opportunities from other countries.

    He said negotiation mandate should include at least the following four key elements: phasing the liberalisation process, offensive agenda, defensive agenda, and balance of concessions.

    He suggested that Nigeria should argue for implementing the trade liberalisation in the AFCFTA through liner tariff cuts in the context of three phases, adding  ‘‘ Each of these phase should cover 30percent of tariff lines that are subject to liberalisation and last five years.

    In other words, tariff rates in Phase 1 should be reduced by 20 percent each year over the first five years period to reach zero at the end of the first five years. Phase 2 tariffs should follow this liberalisation schedule to reach zero at the end of 10 years; and Phase 3 tariffs, following a similar schedule would reach zero at the end of 15 years. Thus, the goal would have been achieved on time, following this staggered sequence”.

  • Heritage Africa, institute, UniAbuja sign MoU on programme exchange

    Heritage Africa-China Research Institute, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, China and the University of Abuja, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to exchange programmes on culture.

    The Director, Heritage Africa-China Research Institute, Mr. Moses Ayom, said the MoU would allow the institutions involved to collaborate in areas of interest for the benefit of the three institutions.

    Mr. Ayom, in a statement  yesterday  in Abuja, said the MoU would allow the three institutions to exchange programmes in the next five years.

    He said: “In order to encourage closer academic ties, after cordial consultations and negotiations among the three parties, the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, University of Abuja and Heritage Africa-China Research Institute, intend to establish programmes of exchange and collaboration in areas of interest and benefit to the three institutions.

    “The three parties shall actively cooperate and pursue academic research in areas of interest and benefits to the various institutions.”

    The Director, Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, Liu Hongwu expressed joy at pioneering the programmes.

    He described the programmes as necessary preliminary platforms for development in Nigeria and Africa.

    “The purpose of coming to Nigeria for the conference is to develop a programme whereby scholars and experts from both countries can brainstorm ideas to promote peace and development in the country.

    “There is a huge gap in the language difference between our countries. This hinders both parties from being able to work together.

    “This partnership will help to close that gap and allow for scholarly networking and interaction.”

    He dwelt on whilethe Chinese and African scholars should share ideas and gain in-depth knowledge about one another’s cultural differences to foster peace and economic growth.

    He said one of the key factors missing in most African countries is industrialisation.

    “We have diverse perspectives and diverse modes of development, therefore we must interact with each other in order to understand each other.

    “Forming this partnership will promote cultural understanding which is a prerequisite for exchange.

    ”The Chinese economy has grown rapidly because we urge our investors to invest in foreign lands, such as the African continent.

    “China is transforming from a manufacturing base to an innovative one, and moving this to Africa will enable African countries to become leaders in economic development.”

  • Zuma, Okorocha sign MoU on free education

    South Africa President Jacob Zuma and Imo State Governor Rocha Okorocha yesterday joined forces to offer quality education to indigent African children at no cost.

    Their foundations, Jacob Zuma Foundation and Rochas Foundation, signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the project.

    The South African President and Founder of the Jacob Zuma Foundation, who was accompanied by his wife and top South African businessmen and government officials, described the signing of the MoU “as beginning of the journey of solving Africa’s problem once and for all”.

    Emphasising the need for education, Zuma insisted education remained the only efficient tool to prepare African children for the task of developing and emancipating the continent.

    According to him: “I am partnering with the Rochas Foundation because we share similar passion to educate poor African children.

    “Maybe my own passion is as a result of my poor background. I wanted to be a teacher or a Pastor or a Lawyer but none of this dream was fulfilled because I did not go to school.

    “So I realised at a young age that education is important to make you as a human being to be to do whatever you wanted to do.

    “So I decided that even though I could not go to school, I must be educated”.

    President Zuma, who recalled his challenges while growing up in his poor neighbourhood, argued freedom from colonialism alone cannot solve the continent’s problems or improve standard of living for Africans.

    Only education, he said, can liberate the continent, stating “Africans are condemned at birth without education”.

    He noted Africa cannot develop without education, stressing “African continent is carrying the burden imposed on it by the colonialists and the only way they can confront such challenges is through education”.

    To pioneer students of the Rochas Foundation College of Africa drawn from 55 African countries, he said: “If I can make it without seeing the walls of any school, you can make it even better because of the quality education you are getting in this Foundation; so make good of the opportunity while you are here”.

    Okorocha, President and Founder of the Rochas Foundation College of Africa, said he was glad that the vision he had 17 years ago had materialized.

    He informed the colleges have 15,000 students across the nation and over 4,000 graduates in the different fields.

    Okorocha said: “As it stands today, I have dedicated 75 percent of my wealth to charity from all my income and whatever I make in my life as a successful businessman 75 percent of it will go to charity.

    “I have equally dedicated certain assets of mine not to be inherited by my children even when I am no more those assets have been willed to Rochas Foundation for ever.”

    He added: ”Every child here is a story. Of recent we have children from Guinea and Sierra Leone whose parents and relatives all died of Ebola and they were left alone in this world, these children we are now giving hope again to live.

    “These ones will go nowhere anymore until they finish their universities and then we shall send them back to their countries where they will contribute to the economic development.”

  • Glo, Apple sign MoU on sale of iPhones, iPads

    Glo, Apple sign MoU on sale of iPhones, iPads

    Second national operator, Globacom yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Apple’s authorised distributor for Africa, Core Group, to ensure that subscribers have access to genuine Apple products and devices at Gloworld shops, accredited dealer shops and Glo zones across the country.

    Speaking at the unveiling of the partnership at the Mike Adenuga Towers, Lagos, Head, Gloworld, Mrs. Titi Ebinisi, said the partnership will enable users of Apple products to enjoy Globacom’s super fast  internet service, GloBolt.

    She said: “The strategic partnership removes the burden of worrying about how to get authentic Apple devices, and then worrying about how to activate its full functionalities through the purchase of a SIM and internet connection. Our customers have been relieved of all these worries.

    “Anyone can walk into our signature retail shops, GloWorld, our accredited dealer outlets and Glo Zones in the country to get genuine Apple devices bundled with one year of data powered by Glo Bolt.”

    Devices available at the Glo outlets include iPhone 5s,  iPad mini and iPad Air. All  come with Apple’s super sharp retina display.

    She urged subscribers to buy genuine Apple products from Glo outlets across Nigeria to enjoy the premium quality, reliability and speed of Globacom’s robust 3G plus network as well as exciting data bundles.