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  • Experts to discuss sustainable marketing at  Industry Summit 2024

    Experts to discuss sustainable marketing at  Industry Summit 2024

    The organisers of the Industry Summit, The Industry Newspaper Limited has announced the 2024 theme titled ‘Sustainable Marketing for Growth.”

    The theme, according to the organisers, is informed by the continuous debate following the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, which created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the active participation of private sector players in Nigeria.

    The summit, which is scheduled to hold on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 at the Marcelina’s Place Ikeja GRA, Lagos would feature a keynote speaker, two guest speakers and some exhilarating panel sessions featuring some contemporary professionals in the Nigerian brand and marketing industry.

    To deliver the keynote paper is the marketing director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Oriakhi while head of unit, sustainability at Access Bank, Mrs. Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan and manager, brand, strategy & communications at Stanbic IBTC, Ms. Rita Akao will feature as guest speakers.

    Read Also: Nigeria has what it takes to end insecurity – Kwankwaso

    The panel sessions would feature Ms. Chioma Mbanugo, Head of Marketing PZ WILMAR, Mr. Abiodun Coker, Team Member Media, UBA, Mrs. Mabel Adeteye, Head, Brand & Marketing Communications, Wema Bank PLC, Mr. Kevin Olumese, Marketing Communications Specialist, and Mr. Adeola Kayode, Head, Brands & Creative Services, 9mobile Nigeria.

    Others who have confirmed participation are Ms. Aisha Anaekwe, Head, Brands & Comms, Coronation Group, Mrs.  Victoria N’dee Uwadoka, Public Relations, Public Affairs & Sustainability Lead, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Samson Adeoye, Public Relations Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwatosin Odiagbe, Marketing Manager, Simba Solar and Ms. Arinola Shobande, Head of Marketing, Showmax.

    According to the Goddie Ofose, Convener, The Industry Summit, “This year summit is focusing on sustainable marketing, which is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future, influencing appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and action across economic and sociocultural systems by taking necessary accountability for its impacts and opportunities.”

  • Sustainable policies reason for GDP growth —Experts

    The nation’s economy plunged into recession early 2016. But with the preceding Gross Domestic Product, GDP figures, it is discernible that real progress has been achieved and that the economy has improved. From a growth rate of 2.79% in 2015, the GDP crashed to a growth rate of -1.58% in 2016 due to the recession. Full Year 2018 saw the country’s GDP grew by 1.93% from the 0.82% attained at the end of 2017, representing a 1.1% growth in the economy, writes Mande Abubakar, and Chales Okonji.

    As the year 2015 drew to a close, there were already bold hints that the Nigerian economy was heading towards choppy waters. The price of oil, the country’s biggest revenue source, had slid on the international market, leaving government at all tiers gasping. Many state governments were, so to speak, in intensive care units, as they could no longer pay staff salaries let alone carry out developmental initiatives.

    This was hardly the most hospitable condition for a new government. President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office in May of that year, found that his promise to reform the economy and boost infrastructural development, as contained in the “Change” manifesto of his government, faced a mile-high odd. The nation’s coffers were virtually bare; inflation had climbed to 9.6% by in December 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    The following year arrived with what was a vicious blow to the new administration and, of course, Nigerians. The price of oil on the international market slid below the $50 per barrel benchmark. This had the none-too-surprising effect of ripping up the government’s plans and expenditure for capital projects and social security programmes. The country lost its titular designation as “Africa biggest economy” to South Africa.

    Worse was to come. The NBS announced that the economy contracted by 2.06% between April and June 2016. The implication was that Nigeria, technically, had slipped into recession.

    Despite having attained a 10-year record high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 6.22% in 2014, the country’s economy, in a space of two years, had shrunk alarmingly. The situation provided ammunition for the critics of the administration, which was condemned to find a way out of the economic difficulty the country was mired in.

    The response was to initiate policies that would bring about resuscitation. These took the form of several business policies and executive orders, notably the Executive Order One (EO1) Ease of Doing Business. These have sparked a slow but steady growth in the country’s GDP, which measures the monetary value of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period of time.

    The country exited recession by the second quarter of 2017 and bounced back stronger. The economy’s improvement has been validated by the recent figures released by the NBS on the country’s GDP, the most reliable gauge of a country’s overall economic activity.

    The NBS report entitled, Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report: Q4 and Full Year 2018, noted that the country’s GDP grew by 1.93% in 2018 from the 0.82% attained at the end of 2017, representing a 1.1% growth in the economy. The GDP growth rate of 2018 rhymed with the projection of the Bretton Wood Institutions, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which had tipped the GDP to grow by 1.9 per cent in 2018.

    A further evaluation of the report reveals that the country’s GDP grew by 2.38% in real terms (year-on-year) in the fourth quarter. This represents an increase of 0.27% when compared to the fourth quarter of 2017, which recorded a growth rate of 2.11%. It also indicates a rise of 0.55% when compared with the growth rate of 1.81% recorded in Q3 2018. The real GDP growth on a quarter on quarter basis for the year 2018 was 5.31%.

    Taking a holistic look at the GDP figures for the past four years, it is discernible that real progress has been achieved and that the economy has improved. From a growth rate of 2.79% in 2015, the GDP crashed to a growth rate of -1.58% in 2016 due to the recession.

    The nominal GDP for the year 2018 was N127,762, 545.58 million, representing a nominal growth rate of 12.36% when compared to N113,711,634.61million recorded in the year 2017.

    Also, upon assumption of office, President Buhari promised Nigerians that his administration will work relentlessly to ensure that the country greatly reduces its overdependence on oil. Just under four years, the path towards less dependence seems to be much clearer and resolute. The non-oil sector growth rate was at 3.75% in 2015, but sharply declined in 2016 to -0.22%, partly due to the recession which affected all economic sectors. A bounce occurred in 2017 when it grew by 0.4% and even considerably improved in 2018 when it recorded a growth of 2%.

    Looking at the opposite side of the divide, it has really been a turbulent four-year period for the oil sector.  The dwindling prices of oil had a catastrophic effect on the Nigerian economy as its proceeds form a huge bulk of the country’s revenue. In 2015, the sector’s growth rate contracted at -5.45% and shrunk further to -13.65% in 2016. But the Buhari administration’s policies rectified the anomaly, with the oil sector recording a 4.69% growth in 2017, before it declined to 1.14% in 2018.

    In terms of the individual sectors, there has also been a consistent growth rate in sectors such as agriculture, industry and service.

    Agriculture, particularly, has been a fulcrum of the Buhari administration’s economic reform agenda, which aims for self-sufficiency in food production. Analysis of its GDP growth rate shows that agriculture grew by 3.7% rate in 2015, rose to 4.11% in 2016 before declining to 3.43% and 2.12% in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

    For the industry sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, and information and communication, there was contraction to -2.24% in 2015, and -8.85 percent in 2016.  It, however, recorded a 2.15% growth in 2017 before sliding to 1.94% in 2018.

    The service sector, which consists of transportation and storage, arts and recreation, financial and insurance, administrative and support services among others, recorded a 4.78% growth in 2015, but contracted in 2016 and 2017 to -0.82% and 0.91% respectively. A better output for the industry occurred in 2018, as it recorded a growth of 1.83%.

    A summary of the statistical indices as highlighted above shows that the country’s economic profile has improved, even after suffering the debilitating recession.

    The economy has not only recovered, but moving towards a more sustainable level of assurance for all Nigerians. Such progression can only continue if more astute policies are well-conceived and implemented without any iota of corruption and with financial prudence as the Buhari administration is currently doing.

     SMEs critical to sustain growth

    The Small and Medium scale Industries (SMIs) are very critical to the growth of the manufacturing sector in particular, and the sustenance of the recorded growth in the economy in general. This according to Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is because the more successful they are, the more the larger industries can rely on them to do a lot of the things that they themselves are having to do. This way the value chain will be stronger and will help both the larger and the smaller industries, stated the President of MAN, Engr Ahmed Mansur.

    We will continue to advocate for initiatives that will put more funds in the hands of the Small and Medium industries at lower cost or lower interest rate and on a longer-term basis because investments in manufacturing is on a long-term basis. So long term funding is important. It is indeed lack of long-term funding that also tends to keep our industries small and at tertiary levels.

    Today, the manufacturing sector is contributing less than 9% of the Nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP). It is not good enough. In countries that are not as developed as Nigeria, we have seen higher rates of contribution by the manufacturing sector to such country’s GDP. For any country to be considered as industrialized, the manufacturing sector being the productive sector that produces the goods that generate value and create wealth, must be contributing significantly to the growth of the economy.

    In countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, the manufacturing sector contributes in the range of 30% to their countries GDP. Ironically, Nigeria is contributing less than 9%. It obvious that manufacturing has a long way to go with regards to raising the level of contribution of the sector to the GDP.

    The MAN President noted; ”Under my administration, members should expect expansion of the sectors i.e. bringing more manufacturers into the fold and ensuring that sectoral groups are made vibrant. We have about ten sectoral groups, but if you look at the relative contributions you will observe that not more than 4 or 5 sectoral groups are responsible for most of the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the economy and for most of the employment as well. The textile sector used to be very vibrant, but it has declined significantly. So, we must broaden the sector to ensure that sectors that are not adequately functioning are restored to good health.  In leather and footwear there is tremendous capacity but today it is not being fully exploited, we are stopping at the production of wet leather.

    “Value addition is the key to success in manufacturing, for instance, if you take the process from hide to finished leather and compare the value that is added from that finished leather to a pair of women’s handbags, the difference is huge. Hence, there is need to deepen the sectors.  The same scenario is applicable to food processing; you produce cocoa, turn it into cocoa butter and you export it, what you get from that cocoa butter and they convert it into chocolates, for the same quantity of cocoa butter the manufacturers of chocolate will make literally a thousand times more than we do in Nigeria.

    “It is not out of place to say that as a result of the collapse of the oil price the country went into recession, and although we are out of recession, but the economy is still fragile. The manufacturing sector is still unstable. But we are beginning to see at least in terms of current government decisions possibilities that can help the manufacturing sector to grow but the execution of these policies is very important. As stakeholders, we will continue to monitor this and raise alarm if need be, when things are not being executed when they should. I believe that the position in a nutshell is that the manufacturing sector is too fragile, and a lot more needs to be done to strengthen it and sustain its growth trajectory.

    “We need to ensure that policies are in place that will help to create friendlier and more conducive business environment. We need to work with the government to ensure that continued investment in infrastructure is being made in order to reduce the cost of doing business and improve the productivity of the businesses themselves. We need to work with the government to ensure that overall business environment is being monitored in a way that we don’t fall back into recession. More concerted effort being made to strengthen agriculture so that we diversify the economy away from oil.”

  • Promoting transparency for sustainable development

    Sir: The twin issues of transparency and accountability at all levels of government is a pre-requisite for sustainable growth and development. Societies the world over strive to improve the socio-economic living conditions of their citizens through the provision of basic infrastructure and social services. Each country has its own national objectives clearly defined by its development imperatives.

    While societies in the developed world have long overcome developmental challenges and are now concerned with how to deal with international terrorism and cybercrime which threaten international peace and security, developing nations especially in Africa are still battling with infrastructure deficit amidst bad governance, corruption and the emergent security challenges like insurgency, transnational banditry and increasing waves of migration.

    At the moment, Nigeria’s political economy is largely characterized by poor revenue base, fiscal indiscipline, huge cost of governance, weak tax policies, misplaced priorities and increasing corruption which stymie development.

    While Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and natural resources capable of lifting the country out of the present doldrums, the leadership at all levels of government seem to lack focus and direction in mobilizing more revenues for the federation from diverse revenue sources. Beside oil revenue, the country is blessed with vast agricultural land suitable for livestock and crop development, large bodies of water for fisheries and abundant solid mineral deposits in all parts of the country.

    The Internally Generated Revenues which remains underexploited are as diverse as the natural resources. Because of over-reliance on oil revenues, governments at all levels do not seem to care about taxable revenues even as states have not shown adequate incentives for improved tax collections. Most states tax collections are not yet automated and the meagre amounts generated are often frittered away by revenue collectors and their accomplices.

    Instead of governments to pursue meaningful, realistic and impactful projects and programmes within the available resources, they busy themselves with building white elephant and capital intensive projects like airports, universities, stadia, flyovers and amusement parks. By the way, most states have am airport, state university, stadia and flyovers even while similar facilities exist in close proximity. It is common knowledge that some states are yet to fill their quotas in federal universities and other tertiary institutions. Many airports in the country are not commercially viable as very few top government functionaries and fewer businessmen could patronize airlines which is why some states are known to subsidize the airlines to enable them maintain the routes regardless of their non-viability.

    State governments are also known to concentrate development in the state capitals leaving the rural areas in utter neglect. Governors appoint hundreds of aides in the name of political patronage; maintain state of the art cars for their official convoys with a retinue of state officials always on the entourage at the expense of the state. When state executives come to Abuja which is quite often, they stay at expensive apartments or five star hotels instead of the governor’s lodge which is tastefully furnished but left underutilized.

    With this kind of scenario, how do you expect such governments to work on developing education, security, health, housing, power, roads and improve food security and job opportunities that would address increasing criminalities in all parts of the country?

    There is the need for countries in Africa especially Nigeria which faces numerous security challenges like Boko Haram insurgency, sectarian violence, cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry to develop viable mechanisms  to promote fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability for rapid socio-economic development.

    State actors must demonstrate good fiscal behaviours in the prudent management of financial resources at their disposal to attract the attention of donor and development partner community. Undertaking drastic tax and fiscal reforms would further strengthen the weak domestic revenue mobilization drive which constantly constrains government spending and undermines the long-term sustainability of public finances.

     

    • Ibrahim Mohammed,

    Garki-Abuja.

  • Embrace sustainable use of the environment,’ Students urged

    To enhance awareness of the importance of wetland resources and encourage sustainable approach to the environment, the Lagos State Government has started this year’s  “Conservation ecotourism.”

    This initiative is one through which the  government takes students in state on a week-long tour of wetlands and other conservation sites.

    Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. BabatundeDurosinmi-Etti, made this known at a briefing  in his Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, office.

    He said the Youth Outreach Ecotourism Programme on Wetland and Biodiversity Conservation for students in secondary schools was holding because of the government’s belief in the ability of students as change agents.

    Durosinmi-Etti said the programme was aimed at expanding the knowledge and changing the mindset of the public about conventional tourism, especially in relation to the environment.

    The commissioner said the theme of this year’s event is: ‘Balancing biodiversity conservation with community livelihood in Lagos State’, adding that it was to educate the public about human values towards a sustainable environment  and boost harmony.

    According to him, the programme would provide science-based, hands-on activities for students to gain proper understanding of wetlands and bio-diversity as well as explore strategies for sustaining these unique ecosystems.

    Decrying the alarming rate of wetlands and biodiversity loss in the state, the Commissioner called for an halt of the indiscriminate destruction of natural habitats, induced by unregulated human activities.

    He said having realised the capacity of youths to communicate and bring about change, the  government was educating the young , who were leaders of tomorrow, to embrace the correct and sustainable use of God-given environmental resources and spread the message to others.

    Durosinmi-Etti pointed out that the 10 participating students, who were selected through a rigorous process, would have the opportunity to visit some pristine and fragile ecosystems, zoological gardens and conservation centres across the five divisions of the state to get acquainted with the abundant wetlands resources and biodiversity of the state.

  • Lagos advocates sustainable sanitation practice

    Lagos advocates sustainable sanitation practice

    The Lagos State Government has joined the rest of the world to mark the World Toilet Day – a day set aside to promote healthy sanitation practices.

    At the celebration, which held at the Ojodu/Berger Bus Terminus, in the Ikeja Local Government Area, last week, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said the day brought to the front burner germane issues, such as water, sanitation and hygiene, affecting the people. He noted that the proper handling of these critical issues would help reduce government’s expenditure on the treatment of diseases, and make more money available for other facilities for public use.

    Adejare said by the United Nations’ estimate, 2.5 per cent of the world’s seven billion people, mostly in rural areas, do not have proper sanitation while 1.1 billion people still defecate in the open.

    “This has significant impacts on human health, dignity and security as well as the environment, social and economic development. The countries where open defecation is most widely practiced are the same countries with the highest mortality rate of children under five, high levels of under nutrition and poverty as well as large wealth disparities,” he said.

    This staggering statistics, the Commissioner said, calls for urgent action among all stakeholders to prioritise toilet and sanitation issues, enhance access to water and sanitation facilities as well as spread awareness of the ills of undesirable sanitation practices. He agreed that sanitation and toilet issues required urgent actions to stem the tide of diseases and bring about healthy citizenry.

    Adejare said the current administration was making concerted efforts to eradicate the menace of open defecation and urination through the provision of public toilets and upgrading of already existing facilities across the state.

    “All public institutions in the state such as petrol stations, eateries and shopping malls are mandated to maintain clean toilets and give access to members of the public. We have also ensured that non-compliance attracts appropriate sanctions,” he disclosed.

    He said the Lagos State government’s commitment to attaining the smart-city status for the state could not be sacrificed at the altar of poor sanitation and inefficient solid waste management, stressing that the environment remained the state’s priority as it was important for maintaining a secure and more prosperous state.

    The commissioner, therefore, enjoined Lagosians to join in the crusade of attaining a cleaner, healthier, functional and sustainable environment, capable of promoting economic growth and well-being of the citizenry.

  • Gowon calls for sustainable economic development

    •Stockbrokers honour Gowon, Obasanjo, Babangida, Dangote

    Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has stressed the need to develop an enduring and sustainable national economic management framework that will be immune to political changes and transitions.

    Gowon spoke briefly with newsmen after he was conferred with the Honourary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) yesterday in Lagos.

    The Former Head of State said the road to Nigeria’s economic growth is for every government to continuously build on the groundwork laid by the previous government.

    “Economic planning is that when it starts today, it should continue into the future. I am requesting all in government, irrespective of which party is in charge, that they should continue to always build on what has been done before rather than abandoning it because of difference in ideology,” Gowon said.

    He noted that the economy appeared to have stabilised and there are expectations that the economy will continue to improve.

    He commended the performance of the stockbroking profession and the capital market, noting that with the quality of professionals within the CIS fold, Nigeria shall once more regain her place of eminence in the financial world and the comity of nations.

    “Between 1992 when the Institute received its Charter and now, it has grown through the twists and turns of the business of life to make meaningful contribution to the growth and development of Nigeria’s economy. The sum total of your efforts can be seen in the growing confidence in our economy, which can favourably compete with that of many in the Western world. That is patriotism,” Gowon said.

    Three other eminent Nigerians Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida and Alhaji Aliko Dangote would also be conferred with Honourary Fellowships.

    Gowon was conferred with the award yesterday as part of the Institute’s commemoration of its 25th anniversary alongside the hosting of its 21st Annual Stockbrokers’ Conference with the Theme “Adapting to the Dynamic Changes in the Financial Market “. By this new status, the eminent Nigerians shall become members of the Institute.

    President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Oluwaseyi Abe noted that Gowon’s conferment was on the strength of his enduring support for the Capital market, pointing out that Gowon laid a substantial part of the foundation for the exponential growth witnessed in the Nigerian capital market in the last four decades through the promulgation of the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree, also known as the Indigenization Decree 1972.

    According to him, the enactment of that law was a bold step that radically changed the landscape of the Nigerian capital market as the sale of large state-owned enterprises and multinationals to private investors through public listing gave Nigerians their desired involvement in the commanding heights of the economy and created more employment for Nigerians.

    Abe said Obasanjo has been an advocate of private sector –led economy of which the capital market is the back bone noting that Obasanjo has consistently called out to the government to leverage long term funds from the market to drive growth and development.

    According to him, the banking consolidation exercise of 2004 under Obasanjo presidency was monumental and created a more diversified, strong and reliable banking sector, which recreated the capital market by stimulating activities both in the primary market and secondary market and attracted about $650 million into the banking sector.

  • TSTV’s Pay-Per-View offer: Emotional marketing or sustainable innovation?

    TSTV’s Pay-Per-View offer: Emotional marketing or sustainable innovation?

    Is Pay TV revolution here or is it a mere emotional marketing? TSTV, a multi-channel TV platform, will be launched on Sunday, October 1, Nigeria’s 57th Independence Day.

    The Direct-To-Home (DTH) TV operation will offer Nigerians “comple-mentary internet capacity, smart home, ability to pause subscriptions for a record of seven days every month, video calls and in-built 500GB hard drive… for content storage, video on demand services as well as the regular uninterrupted clean world-class contents available 24 hours every day”.

    According to a statement by the company on its’ website, Nigerians went agog at the news of these offerings and they have been expressing optimism on the new entrant. However, some are skeptical about the exciting offers of TSTV.

     

    Are there threats?

    An Investment Consultant and Public Affairs analyst, Sola Fanawopo,  is not seeing TSTV as a revolution. “TSTV will operate in the low-earner consumer market, and contend with the likes of GOTV and Startimes; TSTV cannot compete with DSTV,” he said.

    His argument was that TSTV does not have premium family content that can compete at the level of DSTV, and that TSTV is modelled to service those who cannot afford premium services.

    He, however, cautioned that the product-promise of the new entrant may turn out to be unrealistic as the company is offering too many for little.

    “If the business model is wrong, and the business could not break-even, it will end up being unsustainable and subscribers would be the losers,” he added.

    Fanawopo submitted that TSTV offering looks more like emotional marketing as the cost of internet data, which TSTV wants to use to its’ advantage, is as expensive as the cheapest Pay TV subscription in Nigeria.

    Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria Executive Director Sola Salako also shared her concerns on the sustainability of TSTV’s offers.

    She said: “The need for caution arose from the need to be sure that the company can provide the service sustainably, that they have a sustainable business model to run it and that they are protected by regulation.” The consumer right advocate said the new entrant is vulnerable to anti-competition practices as the completion bill is yet to be signed into law by the President.

    Her organisation has been at the forefront of educating Nigerians on the need for the competition bill, particularly via an online medium, Yell Consumers Radio.

    “Nigerians should rise up and speak up for the Competition Bill to signed into law. It will strengthen new entrants and ensure they have sustainable business models,” she said.

    She, however, said more entrants and innovations in the Pay TV sector would translate to more choices for the subscribers.

     

    Who holds the stakes?

    A TV content producer, Tope Alake, observed that TSTV would survive and thrive because the brand is targeting a volume-driven market. According to him, opportunities for content providers as new players come into the Pay TV sector. He complained that the existing multi-channel operators are under-paying content providers and have never given the creative professionals the opportunity to negotiate for better deals.

    “I am very open to TSTV. I also heard that Kwese TV is about to launch. Africans are story tellers and this will give alternatives for storytellers,” said Alake.

    Alake, who directs the movie, “Picture Perfect,” added: “Nigerian producers churn out 70 per cent of contents in Africa, but they are the worst sellers. If we have like six multi-channel platforms, then we can negotiate better deals. This is the revolution we have been waiting for.”

    He concluded that he planned switching to Netflix inext month, but will consider getting a TSTV decoder as well.

    Former President, Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), Femi Odugbemi, agreed that the growth of the Pay TV sector will translate to growth for the content providers, flaying the lack of structure in the purchase of contents by Pay TVs.

    “Competition will offer perhaps opportunities to evolve current practices,”he said.

    Odugbemi, who is the producer of the latest Multichoice’s drama series, Battleground however, expressed concern on the sustainability of the Pay TV company, advising that new players must also invest in the human capacity of the creative industry and initiate “more projects not only in drama, but in every genre of contents – sports, general entertainment, game shows, reality shows and musical shows”.

    While it is good for content providers to embrace new opportunities from new players, the veteran producer advised his colleagues to appreciate the long-time investors in the contents industry, who have helped them to build capacity.

     

    Need to celebrate?

    A research and training company based in the United States (US), 602 Communications, defined emotional marketing as messages that build ego, “makes you feel smarter, bolder, and more sophisticated”.

    The pre-launch marketing of TSTV has been in consonance with the yearnings of Nigerians for a pay-per-view multi-channel platform. However, those offerings from TSTV are products of consumer-centric approach to marketing and a good example of design thinking. The erratic power supply in Nigeria has never made Pay TV interesting, as most customers complain that they do not get value from the monthly subscriptions.

    With TSTV, Nigerians would not need to worry about losing out on subscriptions due to power failure, working hours and weather disruptions. Families can even pause the subscription while going on holidays.

    Presently, the brand has got a lot of traction both online and offline, and it remains the latest Pay TV innovation as long as it delivers on the promises. If marketing is about identifying unmet needs, and providing offers to meet such needs, then TSTV has got it right. The revolution goes on television on Independence Day, giving equality in terms of contents, and freedom in terms of payment! Nigerians are celebrating!

  • Sustainable use of oceans and seas

    Sustainable use of oceans and seas

    The exploration and exploitation of Africa’s vast ocean resources hold the key to economic revival of not only Nigeria but the continent as a whole.
    Indeed as universally acknowledged, oceans and seas are a common heritage of mankind. Even its contents of fishes including but not limited to: sharks, whales; minerals and other resources of the deep sea, seabed and subsoil are not necessarily the result of hard work by man. God even charged us from the story of creation to dominate and exploit the resources of the earth, which include oceans and seas.
    In 1608, in Mare Liberum, Hugo Grotius described the oceans as being:
    “…that expanse of water which antiquity describes as the immense, the infinite, bounded only by the heavens, parent of all things; the ocean which the ancients believed was perpetually supplied with water not only by fountains, rivers, and seas, but by the clouds, and by the very stars of heaven themselves; the ocean which, although surrounding this earth, the home of the human race, with the ebb and flow of its tides, can be neither seized nor in closed; nay, which rather possesses the earth than is by it possessed”.
    The developed countries have done a better job of exploiting these resources. We in Africa need to do much more to use these God given resources to feed our people, fight poverty and develop efficient ports and effectively administer the waters of the seas. We can create high paying jobs for our teeming youths, develop an efficient transportation system, exploit efficiently the oil and gas resources and other minerals contained in the deep seas and oceans of Africa. Nigeria is potentially a major maritime power considering the depth and breadth of our exclusive economic zone and territorial waters, and can do even more to efficiently and effectively make sustainable use of the oceans and seas.
    Fishing is one of the major economic activities of most maritime communities all over Africa. Sustainable development of the local fisheries sector has the capacity to improve food security and lift people out of poverty and hunger. Fisheries and aquaculture provide jobs for millions of people, including our women and youths. However, statistics have it that Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing leads to a loss of over 1.3 billion dollars in West Africa alone, yearly. We must tighten the legal and regulatory framework to stop these losses. We must intensify efforts to promote intra-African trade in fisheries, as statistics also show that Pan-African fish trade is worth about 20 billion euros. This will help to sustain African economies in the long term.
    As a maritime nation, Nigeria has a responsibility together with other nations and international organisations, like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to make our waters safe and secure. It is as a result that the legislature in Nigeria has been very active in maritime related legislations over the years. In 2007, the National Assembly created the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) from the old National Maritime Authority (NMA) and amended the 1962 Merchant Shipping Act and empowered NIMASA to administer the Act.
    Furthermore, the National Assembly has domesticated 12 very important Maritime Safety and Security Conventions of the IMO, which are necessary for safeguarding security and safety in our region. It has also domesticated the International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, which is a very important IMO Convention instrument for safety and security at Nigerian ports as part of its Ports State duties. The Nigerian parliament has also domesticated eight important conventions and protocols on marine environment geared towards a clean, safe and secure marine environment.
    We as a parliament have been at the forefront of legislation on maritime issues in the past and are currently, actively involved in processing legislations in the maritime sector. The House of Representatives only recently passed the National Transport Commission Bill, which it is hoped would have a huge impact on the maritime sector especially with respect to economic regulation of activities of operators and agencies in our maritime sector.
    It is in this regard that we pledge our commitment to speedy processing of the proposed Bill for an Act to provide for the Suppression of Piracy and other unlawful Acts at Sea (and other related offences). The Bill, when passed, is expected to “give expression to relevant Conventions, Treaties and Charters on safety and security and further strengthen Nigeria’s desire to make its waters safe”, according to the promoters of the Bill. The bill is in the court of the Executive at the moment and await its transmission as an Executive Bill for legislative processing into law. The Executive should also take the opportunity to transmit other IMO Conventions and Protocols that have been acceded to by Nigeria, for domestication by the National Assembly.
    Finally, any discussion of maritime security, safety, administration and development cannot be complete without discussion of the impact of Climate Change and the possibility of developing a blue economy following the Paris Convention on Climate Change. Nigeria and indeed Africa cannot be left behind. We shall play our own part as parliament when it is brought before us in due course.
    Permit me to awaken our conscience, even if it amounts to a rebuke, to the fact that the days of paying lip service to the emergence of skilled indigenous seamen and sea women and indigenous fleet owners, not vessel owners, are well over. A strong man lifts the cargo he generates, therefore Africa must possess the capacity to lift the cargo it generates, be they dry or wet, if it must qualify as a strong maritime continent. The goal of this conference must not be the sustainable use of African oceans and seas by non Africans, but by Africans first and then others. I know of very few curses greater than for one to make his bed and for another to lie on it. Therefore, my charge to you administrators is to ensure that as you make this bed, you will also be making Africans who must lie on it.

    •Dogara is House of Representatives Speaker. This is an abridged version of a remark he gave at the African Maritime Administrations Association conference in Abuja.

  • Race for sustainable safe drinking water

    Race for sustainable safe drinking water

    Globally, an estimated 663 million people are living without safe water supply. In Nigeria, about 70 million are said to be affected. Experts believe that access to safe water is one of the most-effective instruments in promoting health and reducing poverty. The importance of this commodity was  stressed at this year’s World Water Day celebration. Amid the citizens’ cry for potable water, the government says it is taking steps to meet their need, MUYIWA LUCAS writes. 

    Original Suffer Head”, an album by the late Afro beat king, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is generally accepted as one of his greatest hits. The song, released in 1981, captures the sufferings of Nigerians in the battle to have access to clean water. Although Fela is no more to see the continued water challenge in the country and beyond, his song, 36 years after its release, remains a constant reminder to the government and stakeholders ofz the importance of having in place, clean water for the populace.

    The need to have sustainable safe drinking water has now become a global issue. It was, therefore, instructive when the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) included this commodity as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target.

    On March 22, this year’s edition of the World Water Day was celebrated to attain sustainable drinking water for all and direct the attention of government to the plight of people without this essential of life. The theme was: “Why Waste Water?”

    Globally, experts say waste water from homes, cities, industries and agriculture flow back to nature. And that since it is not treated or reused, it pollutes water for drinking, bathing, and irrigation, losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.Therefore, it is believed that reducing and safely treating  waste water will make it available for use.

    At an event to mark the day in Abuja, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, described waste water as “any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence,” saying this could originate from a combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface run off or storm water from sewer inflow or infiltration.

    Adamu expressed concern that “no part of Nigeria has fresh water of sufficient quantity and quality that can continually be misused, abused and mismanaged in the way it has been in the past decades without dire consequences.”

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta, said waste-water “as a valuable resource in the secular economy and its safe management is an efficient investment in the health of humans and ecosystems.” Therefore, she said, it is pertinent to situate the place of planning and effective management as the crux of proactive policy to give access  to safe water for drinking and providing water for domestic and economic use in the country. Hence, this year’s theme was a booster for the government to leverage the recycling technology as obtainable in other countries with more difficulties to access  water, in resolving multi-sector demands of water in Nigeria to boost sustainable development.

     

    Staggering statistics

    Investment in water infrastructure will play a major role in every nation’s plan for development. As an essential component of national economies, huge investments in water have more benefits towards attaining many of government’s policies. This is why stakeholders are of the opinion that without critically looking at the water sector, it may not be feasible to create and maintain more jobs across the economy because of its usage across the entire economy.

    For instance, a 2016 report of the United Nations World Water Development said half of the global workforce is employed in eight water and natural resource-dependent industries. It is, therefore, pertinent to note that sustainable water management leading to access to clean and safe water is critical to improved living standards and social inclusion. Beyond sanitation, the report further said, only proactive water management can be annexed to drive the green growth and sustainable development. The report disclosed that Africa has about nine percent of the world’s fresh water resources. In  a similar vein, the World Bank reports that African agriculture is mostly rain fed farming; regrettably less than 10 percent of the available cultivated land is irrigated. This places more responsibilities on the imperatives of effective water management to feed humans and animals, as well as maintain its nutritional demands. UNICEF also reported that about 70 million Nigerians lacked  access to safe drinking water, and over 110 million lacked access to improved sanitation in 2013. According to the world body, about 124,000 children under the age of five die because of diarrhoea, mainly due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. Lack of adequate water and sanitation are also major causes of other diseases, including respiratory infection and under-nutrition.

    “Conversely, neglecting water issues runs the risk of imposing serious negative impacts on economies, livelihoods and populations with potentially catastrophic and extremely costly results. Unsustainable management of water and other natural resources can cause severe damages to economies and to society, thus reversing many poverty reduction, job creation and hard-won development gains,” the report stated.

     

    Govt effort

    Adamu  hinted of government’s thinking to include water recycling as a target policy to manage wastewater for agriculture, sanitation and other uses for disease control, food security and job creation in realisation of  the “Change” mission and diversification effort of the President Buhari’s administration.

    To achieve this and change the face of the sector, the Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, noted that it requires multi-level partnership and synergies for the effective implementation of the agenda, as no single individual or government agency can meet the required development needed all alone.

     

    The journey so far

    Although the country has made substantial progress in developing policies and strategies for water supply and sanitation service delivery, translating these into deliverable actions are challenges confronting the nation. Notwithstanding though, stakeholders are quick to point out that in the last one year, government’s effort has been commendable. For instance, within this period, the administration has provided water and sanitation facilities to Nigerians to end open defecation. The Executive Director of Water supply and sanitation collaboration Council (WSSCC), Mr. Chris Williams, supported the initiative with $5 million through its Global Sanitation Fund for the implementation of sanitation and hygiene promotion activities across six local government areas (LGA’s) in Benue and Cross River states. Non-availability of sanitation and hygiene affects the health of women. The need to provide it will reduce mortality rate.

    Also, the government was able to initiate a bilateral engagement to organise an international conference on Lake Chad to draw international attention to the drastic drying up of the Lake Chad basin in order to save the over 47 million people  living around the lake who depend solely on it for farming, fishing, livestock production as well as water supply for drinking/sanitation. The Lake Chad Basin Commission and Power China International Group Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding to actualise the transfer of water from the Congo basin to Lake Chad basin.

    Importantly, the implementation of the Rural sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) is a  project across six LGA’s in Benue State and Cross River State. It is a five-year sanitation and hygiene project  which seeks to stop open defecation through the construction of toilets and shallow wells with hand pump. The project has yielded success in three LGA’s across Cross River State.

    Other commendable efforts include the commencement of work on the Adada Dam River site project which has about 1.4 million cubic meters of water capacity. The dam is expected to serve Nsukka community and environs by providing adequate potable drinking water and for other domestic users. Commencement of nationwide construction of boreholes to address the need of internally displaced persons’ (IDP’s) access to water. The ministry has also partnered the Katsina State Government to complete Zobe Regional water supply project. Zobe regional water supply was conceived in 1992 to meet the water supply shortfall in Katsina State. Also, the N5.9 billion water supply projects which will supply water to Otuoke, and 12 other communities in Bayelsa State has been inaugurated, just as there has been a  technical audit of 117 abandoned water projects; 25 per cent of the viable ones will be completed this year.

    The launching of the recently gazetted water use  licence 2016 is another landmark. The document will address a lot of issues like protection, conservation, control, equitable development and maintenance of environmental integrity of the nation’s freshwater and non-freshwater, including its strategies for achieving set goals in the sector.

     

    The Road Map

    The government has also put in place a roadmap to stimulate activities in the water sector. The roadmap will: establish a policy and regulatory framework for the water sector; prioritise and implement the Ministry’s Projects; see to the development and implementation of a National Irrigation Development Programme between 2016-2030,  to boost food production; development and implementation of a National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); development of a blueprint to strengthen the River Basin Development Authorities as enablers for food  security and socio-economic development; identifying alternative sources for funding the delivery of Water Supply and Sanitation through enhanced collaboration with Development Partners, States and Local Government Authorities, Communities and the Private Sector.

    To actualise the Roadmap, Adamu said there is a strong collaboration with Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Power, Finance, Budget & National Planning, Environment, Health, as well as Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Bureau for Public Enterprises, state governments and other stakeholders.

    “I am confident that implementation of the Roadmap will be accelerated as we move into the third quarter of the year and beyond,” a confident Adamu said.

  • ‘Census, tool for sustainable development’

    ‘Census, tool for sustainable development’

    The Federal Commissioner for National Population Census (NPC), Mrs ‘Bimbola Saliu-Hundeyin, has described census as an indispensable tool for sustainable development.

    She said census’ strategic objective is to satisfy the needs for demographic, economic and social information required for drawing development plans and programmes.

    Mrs Saliu-Hundeyin spoke during the flag off of Phase III Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) of Somolu Local Government area of Lagos in preparation for the next year census.

    According to her, EAD is the foundation on which the entire census architecture stands, adding “It forms the basis for the planning and execution of the census project. The importance of census cannot be over emphasised.”

    She told the gathering that the 2018 Population and Housing Census will be biometric based and will capture the facial impression and finger prints.

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode urged Lagosians to support EAD officials, who will be going round to count houses and streets.

    Represented by Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Olusola Odupitan at the event, the governor said the exercise will facilitate effective planning and prevent under-enumeration during next year’s population census.

    The exercise, Ambode said, was imperative to enable the Federal Government make provisions for the social and economic welfare of the citizens.

    Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Sole Administrator Prince Sanya Osijo, said the exercise would ensure planning for infrastructure and other social amenities are distributed accordingly, saying population census is synonymous to budget planning.

    His Somolu counterpart William Lawanson said exercise would involve the division of the country into small geographical units that can be conveniently covered by enumerators.