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Tag: (UNIDO

  • UNIDO to entrepreneurs: deploy right technologies for business growth

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has urged Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to adopt appropriate technologies in growing their businesses.

    Its National Project Coordinator  in Nigeria, Mr. Francis Okoh, made the call at the National Economic Dialogue organised by Business to Business (B2B) Nigeria in Abuja.

    The event, which held at the weekend, was themed “Digitising the Nigeria SMEs space for profitability’’.

    Okoh said some of the SMEs failed due to their inability to deploy the right technologies at the development stage.

    According to him, before setting up a business, it is important to think of the business idea and the technology to deploy at the initial stage because not all technologies can develop businesses.

    “For SMEs to make progress, we must mainstream technology in our operations. Businesses have continued to slow down due to manual way of operations.

    “Information is the life wire of any organisation, but unfortunately, some people use the phone only to make calls instead of exploring other features to grow their businesses,’’ Okoh said.

    He emphasised the need for increased sensitisation on the importance of enhancing businesses with the right technologies. He urged the private sector to pull resources to support SMEs in the country.

    Okoh said UNIDO was partnering 12 universities and 45 secondary schools across the country to engage students on practical ways of doing businesses with the right technologies.

    “Recently, we trained 1000 people in that regard in Nigeria, more so 74 million unemployed youths worldwide need access to educative resources,’’ he added.

    The UNIDO chief said the organisation was developing 30 interactive learning modules covering business and information technology skills needed to grow SMEs in Nigeria.

    Convener of the dialogue, Mr. Mustapha Popoola, said there was need to maximise the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure to facilitate the rapid growth of SMEs.

    He said Nigeria needed to digitise some of the information, and by so doing, generate more revenue for the government.

  • World manufacturing growth declining, says UNIDO

    World manufacturing output, which rose by 3.2 percent in the third quarter of last year, was lower than the 3.4 percent recorded in the second quarter, the World Manufacturing Production: Statistics for Quarter III, 2018, has said.

    The report published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), said global manufacturing growth has been declining for three consecutive quarters, amid rising tension over trade and tariffs among the leading manufacturing nations, especially the United States, members of the European Union (EU) and China.

    The UNIDO report, which was accessed by The Nation, during the week, however, said among African countries, manufacturing output rose in Cote d’Ivoire by 4.2 per cent in the third quarter of last year.

    Positive growth was observed also in Egypt, Morocco and Senegal. However, growth remained low in two large economies of Africa, namely Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa.

    The report said major setback was observed in the industrialised economies, which account for more than half of global industrial output.

    Disaggregated figures by region indicate much lower growth in Europe and East Asia compared to North America, where the manufacturing output rose by 3.4 percent.

    Manufacturing output rose by 3.4 percent in the United States. However, growth was   less than 1.0 percent in Germany and France, while Italy faced negative growth.

    Among non-EU economies, manufacturing output rose by 3.6 percent in Belarus, 2.7 percent in Norway, 2.4 percent in the Russian Federation and 1.7 percent in Switzerland.

    Among East Asian industrialised economies, manufacturing output dropped in Japan. Relatively higher growth at 4.8 percent was observed in Malaysia and 3.6 percent in Singapore.

    The growth performance was much higher in developing and emerging industrial economies in the third quarter, although the overall impact of declining global growth was evident.

    China’s manufacturing output rose by 6.1 percent in the third quarter of 2018, which was lower than 6.4 percent in the second quarter. Slowdown was visible in a number of manufacturing sectors, including electrical equipment, motor vehicles and other transport equipment.

    The manufacturing output growth of emerging and developing economies, excluding China, dropped to 3.0 percent in the third quarter compared to 3.6 percent in the second quarter. Regionally disaggregated figures suggested much lower growth in Latin American countries compared to that of Asia Pacific region.

    The manufacturing output of Argentina, one of the largest manufacturers in Latin America, fell sharply by 7.2 percent in the third quarter. Manufacturing output rose by 1.6 percent in Brazil and 1.5 percent in Chile.

    Manufacturing in Mexico, which heavily depends on exports to the United States, rose to 2.7 percent growth in expectation of the North American trade agreement.

    Asian countries maintained relatively higher growth in the third quarter. Manufacturing output rose by six percent in India with significant contributions from high-tech sectors such as pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles. Manufacturing output rose by 5.1 percent in Indonesia and 7.3 percent in Philippines.

    The UNIDO report also presents growth figures by manufacturing industry. Production of computer electronics and pharmaceutical products were listed among high-growth industries.

     

  • UNIDO, EIB collaborate

    To position industries in Nigeria and other African countries to further attract investments and more diverse markets in Europe and Africa itself, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) co-hosted the EIB’s annual Africa Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    The event, which held during the week, gathered chief executives, financial officers, government representatives, entrepreneurs, academics, non-governmental groups and civil society leaders from Africa and Europe and offered them a platform to build new partnerships, reinforce old ones and find new ways to help the continent.

    Key to the discussions at the event was how to offer more job creating opportunities for young people and women – particularly in the field of entrepreneurship, with senior members of the Ethiopian Government joining experts and policymakers from across Africa and Europe to lead discussions on opportunities for growth and diversification.

    They also explored ways to break down barriers and support the inclusive industrialisation of Africa.

     

  • Fed Govt, UNIDO sign $60m new programmes

    The Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have signed a $60million new country progrmme for sustainable industrial development in the country.

    It is going to run between 2018 and 2022.

    The programme is to guide UNIDO’s programme/projects interventions in the during the period, build on the cumulative achievements of past programmes implemented by Nigeria/UNIDO, and strengthen synergies by collaborating with other development partners, state and non-state actors, including the private sector.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Okechukwu Enalema signed on behalf of the country while UNIDO Director-General, Mr. Li Yong signed for the organisation. The programme is second in the series of UNIDO’s support to the country and aligns with the priorities of the government as outlined in the Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

  • UNIDO fine-tunes Edo Industrial Policy after stakeholders’ parley

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s resolve to industrialize the state has gotten a new lease of life, with work in advance stage for the Edo Industrial Policy, a landmark policy document being developed in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

    After an initial draft of the policy, the state government had organised a Stakeholders Workshop, where it engaged with businesses and other players in the state’s industrial sector to get their input in the policy.

    Edo State Focal Person for the Industrial Policy, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, in a chat with journalists, said that experts from UNIDO are putting finishing touches to the policy document, noting that when ready, the governor, who mandated its development, will graciously see to its implementation.

    “From the government side, we are very optimistic about the document as it will drive coordinated, impactful industrialization in the state. The good thing about the document is that it accommodates the interest of all, such that artisans, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as the big players in agro-allied industries and manufacturing can contribute to the sector” he said.

    Read Also: ‘No imposition of candidates by Edo APC’

    Noting that the Edo State government is keen on tapping its human and natural resources to drive inclusive growth, Uwaibi said, “We have a number of big-ticket investments in the offing. The governor has already released funds for the commencement of the Edo Modular Refinery, which shows how serious we are. There is the Benin River Port, for which advance work has been carried out. It is linked to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, as the same Chinese company, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Ltd., is handling both projects. We also have the Benin Industrial Park.”

    He said the Edo Industrial Policy would map out how all these projects will be linked and how local actors will be aligned to tap from the immense opportunities for jobs, wealth creation and inclusive growth.

    “After fine-tuning the document, UNIDO will help in its implementation to ensure a coordinated, participatory approach to its realization. This ensures that as the state creates space for the big industries, the local ones are hooked up to them to provide needed local expertise and capacity to deliver on projects,” he added.

  • NEPC partners NACC, UNIDO, to boost non-oil exports

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo,  has commenced moves to boost non-oil exports in the country.

    To achieve this, NEPC partnered two great institutions: the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

    Prior to this development, Awolowo had assured on resumption in March that he would intensify efforts at improving the contribution of non-oil exports to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria.

    According to him, his reappointment afforded another opportunity to continue NEPC’s drive towards a zero oil economy, hinged on the accelerated development of the country’s non-oil sector.

    “This will be enhanced by the implementation of the Zero Oil pillar of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and buoyed by the recently launched National Economic Council Committee on Export Promotion,” he added.

    He said the recent partnerships were indeed steps in the right direction as they would facilitate the stated resolve.

    Affirming this, Awolowo, while speaking on the partnership with NACC, said the initiative was to boost Nigeria’s non-oil export through the provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

    The NEPC boss said it was regrettable that non-oil export trade between Nigeria and the United States of America (USA) had remained abysmally low at two per cent, but assured that with the partnership and different initiatives of the council, Nigeria would ramp up the non-oil export figures.

    Giving the assurance during a courtesy visit to NACC to seek partnership on the way forward for Nigeria’s non-oil sector, Awolowo also stated: “There is still a lot to be achieved in driving the non-oil sector export, and the council has put up different initiatives to ensure that Nigeria optimizes AGOA before its expiration.”

    He disclosed that the federal government had created a national committee for export promotion to drive its zero-oil plan, saying that the National Economic Council (NEC)-chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, with the 36 state governors as members would go a long way to boosting productivity in the nation’s non-oil export sector in a bid to get goods exported to the US.

    Justifying the partnership, Awolowo stated: “We are here because the chamber is going to be important to increase our non-oil export to the US. We need you to explore the possibility of investment into priority areas for development of our export”.

    According to him, Nigeria has been a good receiver of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from USA, but the FDIs may have gone into the financial services, telecommunications and ICT.

    He, therefore, said: “We need more investment in manufacturing and industry because these are the real investments. This will be the major focus where we want your organization to help us. We also need to improve the quality of our products, and we are also going to need your support to expose how we can meet the American standards.”

    Earlier, the president, NACC- Otunba Oluwatoyin Akomolafe- said the chamber has been working very closely with the council to seek ways of adopting a prepared AGOA implementation strategy. He added that the Chamber would appreciate increased senior representation on the AGOA committee at the Ministry of Trade.

    Akomolafe stated further:“ We want you to support us. There are plans to make Nigeria the centre for AGOA in Africa. So, we need to really work very closely together”.

    The NACC president stressed that the need for partnership for promotion of AGOA through capacity building and awareness creation cannot be overemphasized, just as he canvassed the identification of clusters of local producers and benchmarking of successes made over time.

    He added that most of the African countries that have done well in AGOA have all implemented a well-articulated national AGOA strategy.

    “This is why we developed over a year ago a national strategy for Nigeria. We want an implementable strategy. We call it a five-year strategy programme, where on a yearly basis, we measure the level of success we have made. However, the chamber cannot approve a national AGOA strategy. That is why we are seeking the support of the Ministry of Trade through this partnership with the council,” he said.

    Speaking on the partnership with UNIDO, Awolowo disclosed that it was part of a series of capacity building and awareness programmes all targeted at ensuring that non-oil exports are globally competitive through quality assurance and hitch- free export.

    Specifically, he said at the sensitisation workshop on implementation of the Export Control Plan on Dried Beans Export, that the move was an additional effort by the council at reducing the incidence of rejection of agricultural exports to European Union and other parts of the world.

    The partnership, he explained further, had become imperative to address European Union’s  suspension of the export of Nigeria’s dried beans due to its high  pesticide residue which he said was far above the Maximum Residual Level (MRL).

    He disclosed that UNIDO under the National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP) had so far been partnering the council on a series of activities to address the ban.

  • BoI, UNIDO partner to boost industrial development

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) are collaborating to drive the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), through inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

    UNIDO Regional Director and Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Jean Bankole made this known during a visit to BoI’s office in Lagos.

    Bankole said the partnership would was a catalyst to the attainment of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and its Vision 2020 Agenda.

    According to him, UNIDO has started a four-year country programme for Nigeria, and requires the government’s support and strategic alliances for its funding and implementation.

    “We are here to seek your support and to ensure that the programme is well implemented to drive industrialisation plan and diversification of Nigeria’s economy.

    “We need to create the condition that will build economic resilience and positionNigeria to continue to play a key role in Africa and the global economy.

    “To do this, we need strong industrialisation strategies, partnerships and investment that will place the economy on the path of growth and sustainable development,” he said.

    Bankole said the country programme, estimated at $50 million, had identified intervention plans in nine thematic components that would assist Nigeria develop and grow its industrial sector.

    The areas are: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) development; industrial governance and funding, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), agro-industry and agri-business development, innovation and renewable energy development.

    The others include capacity building to improve quality of products and environmental management to reduce industrial pollution.

    Bankole said the programme would drive economic expansion and an inclusive growth to advance equitable opportunities for every section of the country.

    He noted that development of the industrial sector would create more jobs, enhance productivity and boost the GDP growth.

    Responding, BoI Managing Director Mr Olukayode Pitan said the bank would continue to partner UNIDO, and that its area of focus aligned with the bank’s activities and interventions.

    “Already, we have a long-standing relationship with UNIDO, and UNIDO has an office in our bank. I can assure you that we will partner more with you to take our country to higher heights,” he said.

    Pitan said the partnership would transform the structure of the economy and productivity, enhance the standard of living of its people and boost economic growth.

  • Reappointment of Prof Jidere: Group commends Buhari

    The League of Civil Society Groups has commended President Buhari for reappointing Prof Eli Bala Jidere as Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN). The group in a statement jointly signed by Bar. Adefila Kamal President and Amb Mukhtar Akoshile, National Secretary said “We have observed a disturbing turn of events in the Nigerian political landscape, where even issues of administration are milked for cheap popularity and dishonest political gains. This over-politicization has become the bane of the Nigerian public service space, holding back viable and promising policies and projects from implementation to better the lot of Nigerians”

    ”The attempt by a section of the staff of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), to bring the person of Prof. ELI BALA Jidere, who was duly appointed by Mr. President, into disrepute is a classic case in point of Nigerians who do not want to move on from the old way of running government. It becomes rather curious that in making these calls, the Union haven’t been able to reference any financial misconduct to his person.”

    ”It is on record that Prof. Jidere had, during his first term in office, restored sanity and probity to the management of the Commission, instilling financial discipline and openness in governance making hitherto opaque processes such as procurement open to the general public. Prof. Eli Jidere reduced the Commission’s debt on constituency projects to N6.5billion from N16billion in 2013, while ensuring that no new debt was incurred on executed projects by paying fully for all contracts entered into in the period.”

    ”On the international scene Prof. Jidere ensured that Nigeria’s contributions to international energy organization’s were fully paid up, which was a far departure from the past, facilitating the election of Nigeria as Vice President of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Promotion of renewable energy projects all over Nigeria have attracted support of partners such as JICA, UNDP and UNIDO. These international organizations that are known for demanding transparency and probity in project execution had at no time expressed any displeasure with the commission on its part.”

    ”The League of Civil Society Groups wish to place it on record and bring to the notice of the staff that the Commission belongs to all Nigerians and as a public interest organization we will resist any attempt to hold such a sensitive agency of government to ransom. The march towards energy sufficiency for Nigeria will not be scuttled by any vested interests, as these will incur the wrath of the people.”

    ”We commend the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu for putting national interest in the running of the ministry and urge him to continue on the path of promoting science for national development. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his steadfastness in reappointing Prof. Jidere to continue the good work he has done so far and consolidate on the achievements recorded so far. We urge President to keep up the trend of appointing capable hands to man key government agencies to ensure governance impacts on the lives of the people of Nigeria.”

    Government should not allow itself to be swayed by these merchants of sentiments but continue on the path of change towards ensuring the people, who are the real owners of the Government, receive the appropriate benefits that should accrue to them. The government of the day has made it abundantly clear from the days of its campaigns that the old ways of doing things have to give way for higher standards and this decision is along that track, the statement added.

  • Nigeria accreditation process still below standard, say UNIDO, EU

    • Urges quality infrastructure accreditation

    United Nations Industrial Development( UNIDO) and the European Union ( EU) have tasked Nigerian government and other stakeholders on the need to give priority attention to developing a  stronger framework for a more credible accreditation process in its implementation of national quality infrastructure projects.

    The global organisations, while expressing concern during this year’s World Accreditation Day in Abuja said that though the Nigerian National Accreditation Service (NiNAS) was gaining some global recognition, the country’s accreditation process was still below standard.

    They said more efforts were required to ensure total compliance to global standards in all infrastructure and service chains in the country.

    UNIDO Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director in Nigeria, Jean Bakole, stated that standard accreditation system helps in delivering a safer world.

    This, he noted, was critical because to a great extent it enhances consumers’ confidence in safety, security, and authenticity of food and water they consume.

    He added “this confidence is gained through application of common food safety management systems, supported by credible testing and inspection regimes. Many organisations in Nigeria check compliance with food and water safety and cleanliness standards through testing, calibration, inspection services, and certification services.”

    On her part, the European Union (EU) Representative, Cannata Nadia, said the European Union was finding the National Quality Infrastructure Programme in Nigeria to underscore the importance of having standard accreditation that will position the country to contribute effectively to delivering a safer world.

    She explained that “Quality infrastructure is about having each institution play its role in the best possible way within an agreed framework. This is a condition sine qua non, which is at the core of the National Quality Infrastructure Programme, funded by the EU and implemented by UNIDO.

    She said that more has to be done in strengthening institutional framework in Nigeria for the purpose of achieving quality infrastructure accreditation.

     

  • UNIDO, EU: Nigeria’s accreditation process still below standard

    United Nations Industrial Development( UNIDO ) and the European Union ( EU) have tasked the Nigerian government and other stakeholders on the need to give priority attention to developing a  stronger framework for a more credible accreditation process in its implementation of national quality Infrastructure projects.
    The global organizations, while expressing the concern during this year’s World Accreditation Day in Abuja said that though, the Nigerian National Accreditation Service ( NiNAS) was gaining some global recognition, the country’s accreditation process was still below standard.
    They said  that  more efforts were required to ensure total compliance to global standards in all infrastructure and service chains in the country.
    UNIDO Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director in Nigeria, Jean Bakole stated that standard accreditation system helps in delivering  a safer world.
    This, he noted was critical because to a great extent it enhances consumers confidence in safety, security, and authenticity of food and water they consume.
    He added ” this confidence is gained through application of common food safety management systems, supported by credible testing and inspection regimes.Many organizations in Nigeria check compliance with food and water safety and cleanliness standards through testing, calibration, inspection services, and certification services.
    ” Accreditation Service from NiNAS is the complementary tool that assures that these organizations are credible and reliable. NiNAS Accreditation service assesses the competence of bodies to determine compliance with standards. It also helps to promote best industry practices, compliments government agencies to individually monitor conformity assessment organizations, and strengthen consumer confidence in products and services”.
    On her part, the European Union ( EU) Representative, Cannata Nadia, said the European Union was funding the National Quality Infrastructure Programme in Nigeria to underscore the importance of having standard accreditation that will position the country to contribute effectively to delivering a safer world.
    She explained that ” Quality infrastructure is about having each institution play its role in the best possible way within an agreed framework. This is a condition sine qua non which is at the core of the National Quality Infrastructure Programme, funded by the EU and implemented by UNIDO.”
    She insisted that more has to be done in strengthening institutional framework in Nigeria for the purpose of achieving quality infrastructure accreditation.
    ” Over the past four years, a lot of work has been put to move ahead with each of the elements of the quality infrastructure in Nigeria. I would like to quickly go through some of the key words associated to the theme of this year celebration: “Delivering a Safer World”: More has to be done to “protect the consumers”