The Nation Newspaper

Tag: (UNIDO

  • UNIDO to boost Nigeria’s trade data base

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisations (UNIDO) Country Representative, Jean Bakole has hinted of plans to support the federal government’s efforts towards addressing the paucity of data base for trade and industrialisation.

    Bakole who disclosed this during the UNIDO country programme 2018 to 2022 validation work shop in Abuja, stressed that the programme hopes to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial economic growth and diversification of the country.

    He said, “The industrial landscape of Nigeria is characterised by lack of clear policies on industry, trade and investment, existence of large pool of informal and undeveloped micro enterprises just as lack of functional industrial, trade and investment database is an issue.”

    Besides, he said, “Weak national quality infrastructure for trade, poor energy access and high cost of manufacturing production, environmental degradation, and climate change issues. Accordingly, this Country Programme is UNIDO’s planned response to support the government of Nigeria.”

    On the modus operandi of the programme, the UNIDO boss said, “UNIDO will give considerable attention to developing policies and strengthening regulatory frameworks, developing database, enhancing ease of doing business in the country, building infrastructural base such as special economic zones and industrial parks, tackling critical bottleneck in MSMEs development.”

  • ITF, UNIDO to match youths with jobs

    The Federal Government has come out with a document that will match skilled students under the ITF with jobs, the Director-General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari has said.

    Ari, who stated this yesterday during the official presentation of a report on ITF, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) skills gap assessment in Nigeria, said this document “will guide us to work with greater exactitude and reasonable sense of purpose.”

    He said the report will also assure that the people we train in workshops and classrooms across the country will go into jobs that are already waiting, in sectors that are truly short of manpower.

    Ari said the ITF, in line with its mandate and its desire to take a leading role in all matters of hands on skills, entered into collaboration with UNIDO to conduct a skills survey.

    He said: “This is to provide information on industrial skills demand, supply and gaps in Nigeria, formulate in consultation with relevant stakeholders, policy recommendations and action plan to alleviate the skills gap. serve as basic for government investment in skills development in Nigeria and guide the work of concerned organisations.

    He stated that the report presented today is the work of years of toil of several agencies, who despite all odds strove to produce the document.

     

  • UNIDO, NACCIMA, LCCI partner on SMEs

    UNIDO, NACCIMA, LCCI partner on SMEs

    The Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched another phase of its capacity building programme by training over 40 Nigerian women in financial literacy, in Lagos.

    The financial literacy project, which was in collaboration with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), was initiated to equip the business owners with interactive online learning packages, financial literacy tools and major mechanisms for upgrading and expanding existing enterprises.

    The Chief Technical Adviser, UNIDO-ITPO, Mr. Stanislaw Pigon, said: “Aside from the training, we will also offer the entrepreneurs business counseling and mentoring programmes aimed at facilitating enterprise growth. Our online tools are open to the entrepreneurs as they are expected to ask questions or seek for clarifications. From the perspective of the MSMEs, the most important factor is that they are ‘bank-ready’. This means we need to offer them some simpler tools to present the financial aspects of their business ideas.

    “We are facing a problem of financial literacy, starting with university graduates, who cannot find jobs, to existing, even successful Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, which cannot find resources to grow.”

    The Head, UNIDO-ITPO, Nigeria, Ms. Adebisi Olumodimu, explained that the workshop was designed to support the Federal Government in its bid to diversify the economy, empower business owners, especially women, across the agriculture, manufacturing, and food and beverages sectors and ensure they are equipped with best practices tools for the development of value-added services.

  • UNIDO urges govt on solid waste management policy

    UNIDO urges govt on solid waste management policy

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has advised the Federal Government to implement the National Policy on Solid Waste Management in the country.

    Its Country Representative, Mr Jean Bakole, made the appeal at the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Review and Validation of Draft National Policy on Solid Waste Management in Nigeria at the weekend in Lagos.

    Represented by UNIDO National Programme Officer, Dr Chuma Ezedimma, he said that Nigeria, as a leader in Africa, must demonstrate its leadership through the effective implementation of the policy.

    According to him, solid waste is a global problem which needs an effective and economical management strategy.

    He said countries were facing increasing challenges of solid waste management, adding that with an increasing global population, solid waste generation was bound to be on the increase.

    “According to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, bulk density of residential waste in some countries was taken and compared, and Nigeria recorded 250kg, as against 330kg for Egypt.

    “The U.S. recorded 100kg, as against 150kg for UK; 400kg to 600kg for India and 400kg for Indonesia,’’ he said.

    Bakole said the review and validation of the draft policy on national solid waste management was, therefore, essential because it would help to guide relevant stakeholders on specific areas of investments in solid waste management.

    “This draft will also identify the key stakeholders and build an effective institutional structure, while facilitating incentives, job creation and linkages to global environment treaties.

    “To ensure the success of this policy, there must be political will and private sector involvement; efforts should be made to encourage research and development, aggressive awareness drive, realistic action and effective enforcement drive,’’ he said.

    The Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, who declared the workshop open, urged participants to contribute meaningfully to the policy document, which was aimed at ensuring sustainable solid waste management in the country.

    Also represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Shehu Ahmed, he expressed delight at the number of the workshop participants who were drawn from different waste management organisations.

    He urged the participants to produce a critical document that would safeguard the environment and human health against unwholesome disposal and handling of solid waste.

  • Redeemer’s Varsity wins UNIDO award

    The Redeemer’s University has won the maiden edition industrial prize of Level 3, Category A, Gold award of the Nigeria National Quality Awards organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with European Union and other international development partners

    For organisations to compete at the level 3, Category A in which the University contested ; they must have implemented a quality approach and conducted an internal quality management system audit and also have a large staff strength that exceeds 100 employees.

    Speaking at the event, the United Nations Industrial Development Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Director, Mr. Jean Bakole said that the National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP) for Nigeria was developed to improve the quality of products and services exchanged in the Nigerian, regional and international markets.

    He said the award system was established in order to increase the awareness on quality and standards and also to contribute to the consumers’ confidence in Nigerian products in order to engender healthy competition among manufacturers and service providers.

     

    The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Debo Adeyewa said that the award has confirmed the standard of the quality of products coming out of the university.

    He stated that the university structured and tailored its internal processes and systems based on international standards which best in business applied to become globally competitive.

     

  • Govt, UNIDO to develop national policy on solid waste management

    he Federal Government in partnership with the United  Nations  Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), yesterday  developed draft  national policy document on sustainable solid waste management.

    The policy, which had inputs from stakeholders is expected to ensure sustainable waste reduction at source, encourage recycling in order to promote resource conservation and  protect the environment.

    UNIDO Country Representative, Dr. Jean Bakole, during stakeholders’ validation workshop on solid waste management, in Abuja called for joint efforts to address the menace.

    He described the draft document as a comprehensive and inclusive effort which its success and implementation will be determined by ability of state governments to domesticate the policy.

    According to Bakole, it was developed to recognise private sector participation and to serve as guide on investments in solid waste managements.

    According to a report by the United Nations Environmental Programme  (UNEP), Nigeria ranks third after India and Indonesia in the  bulk  density of residential wastes generated by six major countries.

    “To ensure the success of this policy, there must be political will, adequate data, private sector involvement, encourage research and development, aggressive awareness drive, a realistic action plan and an effective enforcement drive,” Bankole added.

    In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Shehu Ahmed said the stakeholder’s review and validation workshop is expected to validate and finalise the policy document.

    He noted that the policy will serve as a guide in the quest for sustainable solid waste management practices.

    He urged stakeholders present to meaningfully contribute to enrich the document so as to address the issue of sustainable solid waste management in the nation.

    “It is common knowledge that waste disposal rather than waste management is prevalent in Nigeria and this generally involves co-disposal of general and hazardous wastes on land, water bodies, roads and uncontrolled and open burning. These practices portend serious danger to our environment and health and retard our economic development.

    “This Policy should be able to address the above unwholesome practices and also promote: Waste reduction at source, recycle and reuse as the best option for solid waste management in Nigeria to promote resource conservation and environmental protection,” Ahmed added.

  • FG, UNIDO partner to develop national policy on solid waste management

    The Federal Government in partnership with the United Nations
    Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), yesterday developed draft
    national policy document on sustainable solid waste management for the
    nation.
    The policy which had inputs from stakeholders in the sector is
    expected to ensure sustainable waste reduction at source, encourage
    recycling in order to promote resource conservation and protect the
    environment.
    UNIDO Country Representative, Dr. Jean Bakole, during stakeholders’
    validation workshop on solid waste management, in Abuja called for
    joint efforts to address the menace.
    He described the draft document as a comprehensive and inclusive
    effort which its success and implementation will be determined by
    ability of State governments to domesticate the policy.
    According to Bakole, it was developed to recognize private sector
    participation and to serve as guide on investments in solid waste
    managements.
    According to a report by the United Nations Environmental Programme
    (UNEP), Nigeria ranks third after India and Indonesia in the bulk
    density of residential wastes generated by six major countries.
    “To ensure the success of this policy, there must be political will,
    adequate data, private sector involvement, encourage research and
    development, aggressive awareness drive, a realistic action plan and
    an effective enforcement drive,” Bankole added.
    In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
    Environment, Dr. Shehu Ahmed said the stakeholder’s review and
    validation workshop is expected to validate and finalize the policy
    document.
    He noted that the policy will serve as a guide in the quest for
    sustainable solid waste management practices.
    It could be recalled that a maiden similar national stakeholders’
    workshop was held in Kaduna December, 2015. Following the
    recommendation of stakeholders at the workshop, the ministry and UNIDO
    appointed a consultant to prepare a draft policy document
    He urged stakeholders present to meaningfully contribute to enrich the
    document so as to address the issue of sustainable solid waste
    management in the nation.
    “It is common knowledge that waste disposal rather than waste
    management is prevalent in Nigeria and this generally involves
    co-disposal of general and hazardous wastes on land, water bodies,
    roads and uncontrolled and open burning. These practices portend
    serious danger to our environment and health and retard our economic
    development.
    “This Policy should be able to address the above unwholesome practices
    and also promote: Waste reduction at source, recycle and reuse as the
    best option for solid waste management in Nigeria to promote resource
    conservation and environmental protection,” Ahmed added.
    The permanent secretary called for active private sector participation
    and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in waste management, stressing
    that government alone cannot handle the issue of solid waste
    management in the country.

  • FG approves N800m as budget support loan facility for states

    FG approves N800m as budget support loan facility for states

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of N800 million for each of the 36 states of the federation as part of the Budget Support Loan Facility.

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo udoma, stated this when he briefed State House correspondents, alongside Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, on the outcome of the meeting of the National Economic Council ( NEC ) in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

    Udoma said the Accountant General of the Federation reported to the Council that approval for the payment of the amount had been received by his office and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been directed to pay the money to the states.

    “Governors expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the restoration of the Budget Support Loan Facility for July and August 2017,’’ he said.

    He said the Accountant General also informed the Council that the balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at Nov. 17 stood at $2,309,693,583.35

    He said the Council was also updated on the balance of the Stabilisation Fund Account (SFA), which, as at Nov. 17 stood at N6,689,072,836.11

    The minister said the balance of the Natural Resources Development Fund Account stood at N100, 314, 169, 190,23 as at Nov. 17.

    Akeredolu told the correspondents that the Council received the Report of the NEC hoc Committee on Export Promotion.

    The committee was set up in September.

    “The report dwelt extensively on an export promotion plan geared towards achieving governments’ policy on the “zero oil Plan.

    “The Committee recommended, among other things, the establishment of a National Committee on Export Promotion, chaired at the Presidency level.

    “It also recommended the setting up of a  Technical Committee involving federal and states MDAs to help provide technical information and direction to the proposed committee.

    “The Ad-hoc Committee further  recommended that Export procedures and documentation be streamlined with  the identification of existing domestic investors and engagement plan for output expansion.

    He said the committee also recommended the establishment of more laboratories and testing centres to help improve quality and standard of export and the domestication of the Office of Technical Regulation (OTR) as recommended by UNIDO.

    On market for Nigeria’s products, he said the committee recommended the deepening of commercial diplomacy, one-stop shops for export and a National Export Portal to generate global orders to link suppliers to buyers

    “On Value Chain Development, the Committee recommended the development of clusters along product value chain, market driven research and development and the provision of seeds and seedlings.

    “The committee recommended the recapitalization of NEXlM Bank, the provision of Export Development Fund in line with NEPC Act, a five-year financial window on export expansion grant and funding scheme for exporters similar to the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme.

    NAN

  • UNIDO: industrialisation is way to free trade area

    The United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Representative and Regional Director Mr. Jan Bakole has said industrialisation is a precondition for the effective implementation of Continental Free Trade Area (CFTRA).

    He however acknowledged that several challenges remain on the path to the optimum realisation of CFTA’s full potential.

    The CFTA is to bring together 54 African countries with a population of more than one million people with a gross domestic product (GDP) of over $3.4trillion.

    Bankole spoke during the African Industrial Day with the theme: African Industrial for an Effective and Sustainable Continental Free Trade Area. The UNIDO chief identified market size as a challenge to industrialisation, adding that to overcome this challenge, opportunities for scale production and better re-allocation of resources for the level of enterprise and industries needed to be explored.

    He said, “There is need for policy adjustments to create a conducive environment for industrialisation which includes the promotion of regional and sub – regional corridors to help facilitate the continents participation in global value chains, trade and service, thus contributing to enhanced competitiveness.

    “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Addis Ababa Action Agenda mark a transition to a new development paradigm while the new paradigm recognises that Africa needs to restructure and diversify its economies with support of the private sector, in a way that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.”

    He said the role of inclusive and sustainable industrial development was highlighted by the United Nations General Assembly, which proclaimed the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa.

    Speaking, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment Aisha Abubakar said as Nigeria is chairing the negotiation of CFTA in Africa it is believed that it is the surest way to the modernisation and development of the African economy.

    “The large vision of CFTA as defined by the African Union Agenda 2063 is to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizen and representing a dynamic force in global area, this administration has strategically placed Nigeria to be at the forefront of realising the full benefits of CFTA and other agreements through the establishment of Nigeria office of Trade Negotiation (NOTN),” she said.

    UN resident coordinator, Mr.Edward Kallon, said for the CFTA to attain its potential in empowering African economics, a favorable business  environment including social inclusion, business incentives and adequate industrial policies were necessary.

    Kallon emphasised that the private sector also plays a major part in the development of new innovative technologies and business practices. small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute a projected 80percent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product and support an estimated 90% of all jobs.

  • UNIDO empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs on financial literacy

    UNIDO empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs on financial literacy

    THE Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation has rolled out a programme to train Nigerian entrepreneurs in the non-oil sector on innovative solutions to improve their financial literacy as part of its Investment Learning Centre initiative.

    Senior Adviser, UNIDO-ITPO Mr. Stanislaw Pigon, who led the team of experts that trained the business owners in Lagos, said the ILC initiative “focuses on identification, preparation, promotion and implementation of investment projects of young entrepreneurs in Nigeria”.

    He explained that the focus on young entrepreneurs in the non-oil sector was borne out of the global body’s discovery that most business owners in the largest black nation did not meet up with the international standard of enterprise growth, a development he added had created a lull in the growth of its economy.

    UNIDO/ITPO said it was training the participants in partnership with the Bank of Industry, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the University of Lagos so that they would, in turn, train millions of Nigerian entrepreneurs.

    He added that the organisation offered different services to support the efforts of the Federal and state governments to attract investment and technology for industrial growth.

    He said: “We are engaging states in this regard. We are in Niger State talking on how to grow the Shea Butter industry and we have started a flagship programme in Sokoto. While we are also trying to develop the stone sector in Ogun State, we are committed to growing the Lagos fashion hub.

    “We are investing in capacity-building services in the context of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa. Our trainings are aimed at developing business incubation management systems, providing counseling and training services for Nigerian businesses.”