The Nation Newspaper

Tag: (UNIDO

  • UNIDO to establish bio – gas facility in Nigeria

    UNIDO to establish bio – gas facility in Nigeria

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has concluded plans to establish a bio-gas facility in Nigeria, its Director General, Mr. Li Yong, has said.

    Yong stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, in Abuja.

    He said UNIDO has over 50 bio-gas facilities across the world and has concluded plans to establish one in Nigeria.

    According to him, the industrial facility processes waste and produces methane as well as materials which can be used as agricultural fertilisers.

    He said: “The industrial facility processes waste and produces methane as well as waste materials which can be used as agricultural fertilisers.

    “We are in Nigeria to support the federal government especially in areas of environmental sustainability, provision of technical support, as well as poverty reduction.”

    Mallam expressed delight with UNIDO’s decision to establish such a facility in the country.

    She thanked the UN body for its efforts towards helping Nigeria meet her Multilateral Treaty obligations.

    The minister said: “Let me appreciate your efforts in helping Nigeria to meet her obligations towards Multilateral Treaties we have signed, like the Montreal Protocol, Stockholm Convention, Basel Convention and Minamata Convention.

    “I am also aware of UNIDO’s support for the Nigerian government on the execution of Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects like reducing mercury and lead exposure and contamination in Small Scale Gold Mining by communities, through the promotion of safer mining practices in Nigeria.

    “I thank you for assisting the government of Nigeria to establish one of the very few specialized laboratories in Africa for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and soil research at the University of Ibadan.”

  • UNIDO: policy inconsistencies stunt industrial growth

    UNIDO: policy inconsistencies stunt industrial growth

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has blamed Nigeria’s slow indutrial development on inconsistent industrial policies.

    Its Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Patrick Kormawa said the country’s over-dependence on export of raw materials would not enhance development.

    He argued that dependence on export of finished product is a major driver of economic development.

    According to him, this has to do with the inconsistency in the industrial policy of the government.

    He said the government had on many occasions banned and unbanned some products, adding that this was not good for the economy.

    Kormawa said the country had over the years, focused on export of raw materials, especially oil, without focusing on non-oil sector such as industry and agriculture.

    “Nigeria did not address fundamental constraints to competitiveness; as a result of this, businesses crumbled while products were rejected,” he said.

    Kormawa also blamed the problem on lack of a well-defined trade policy integrated with clear investment policy and a detailed industrial policy plan.

    He added: “No country in the entire world can thrive by depending on exportation of raw materials rather than exporting finished products.

    “The more a country specialises in the production of raw materials which, of course Africa has found itself in, the poorer it becomes.”

    “The Europeans and Americans have developed through value-added activities not by exporting oil or agricultural commodities but by making and doing things.”

    He pledged the commitment of UNIDO to offer necessary support that would enhance diversification of the nation’s economy by boosting trade and investment through public- private initiatives.

    He said the UN trade agency, in collaboration with stakeholders, has concluded plans to set up quality infrastructure to facilitate international trade and competitiveness in international markets for local products.

    Kormawa said the project, if fully executed, would help to reduce rejection of made-in-Nigeria products due to low quality.

    For instance, he said the Federal Government in collaboration with UNIDO) is set to establish six staple crop processing zones(SCPZs) in the country which he said will be established in six states of the federation

  • NAFDAC labs get global accreditation

    The Mycotoxin and Pesticides Residues Laboratories of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Oshodi, Lagos, have obtained the ISO 17025 accreditation through the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation.

    In a statement in Lagos, NAFDAC’s Director, Special Duties, Abubakar Jimoh, described the accreditation as a major breakthrough for the agency in its regulatory activity.

    The accreditation, which was sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development (UNIDO), has launched the two laboratories into the league of internationally recognised and respected laboratories.

    NAFDAC’s Director-General Dr. Paul Orhii said: “With the ISO 17025 accreditation of the two laboratories, value-added, agricultural exports, tested and certified by the agency, will now be accepted worldwide without query. This is a major boost to the country’s image and Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.”

    Dr Orhii said all products analysed for export at the two laboratories would henceforth carry a special logo, making them acceptable all over the world.

    Some other laboratories of the agency are also undergoing international accreditation, which would boost the current efforts to get some pharmaceutical companies to obtain World Health Organisation (WHO) pre-qualification,” the NAFDAC chief said.

     

     

    The statement said: “Dr. Orhii thanks UNIDO and the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation for the support and cooperation accorded NAFDAC in attaining this great feat.”

  • EU, UNIDO support infrastructure with 2.5b euro

    EU, UNIDO support infrastructure with 2.5b euro

    Support came the way of Nigeria yesterday, when the European Union (EU) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) signed N2.5billion agreement (12million euro) to assist the country in its infrastructural development.

    The support, which is aimed at improving infrastructure in the non-oil, productive sectors of the economy, will be delivered through the unique technical competence of United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO).

    The project is part of a wider Financing Agreement signed between the European Union and Nigeria to stimulate the competiveness of Nigeria, and represents one of the many contributions brought by the EU to the people of Nigeria under the 2008-2013, 10th European Development Fund.

    The targeted projects are: Promulgation of a National Quality Policy (NQP); the establishment of a National Accreditation Body (NAB), Providing equipment and training for the National Metrology Institute (NMI), Facilitate private participation, and support Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB); Ensure participation of Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and other stakeholders in the NQI through training and awareness creation on quality and consumer protection.

    The National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) of Nigeria Project aims to support the improvement and establishment of standards and quality control agencies, in order to improve the quality of products and services exchanged in the Nigerian and international markets, and thus boost the competiveness of the Nigerian private sector,as well as the protection of it’s consumers.

    Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. David MacRae, and Resident Representative and Director of UNIDO, Dr. Patrick M. Kormawa, signed the agreement.

    Macrae said: “The EU attaches a great importance to the diversification of Nigeria’s oil economy, the role of the private sector in the creation of employment and the improvement of the living conditions of all its citizens. The support brought by the EU, in team with UNIDO to help improve Nigeria’s quality infrastructure, is one good step in that direction.”

  • UNIDO, others partner on investment platform

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is to go into partnership with the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMTI) and other stakeholders to inaugurate an Investment Monitoring Platform (IMP) in Nigeria.

    The other stakeholders include the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by a UNIDO investment promotion expert, Mr Adetola Ajala. He said: “The IMP is an interactive online investment software developed by Microsoft for UNIDO that enables users to monitor investment trends, opportunities and impact andcontains data from more than 7000 companies in 19 African countries and provides a unique opportunity for research and policy advocacy in an empirically sound manner.” .

     Ajala added that the data would support the Federal Government through FMTI, NIPC, SMEDAN and other institutions to monitor trends in investment flows and measure their impact on the economy.

     It also said the platform will target quality investors and advocate for evidence-based interventions and policy proposals, stressing that IMP would be launched officially in Nigeria by the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, in Abuja.

  • Osun, UNIDO partner on power

    The Osun State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO, has procured two 35KW turbines to boost power supply.

    The Chairman of UNIDO’s Hydro Power Electricity Generating Company, Mr. Atilade Oshoniyi, said his team would soon install the turbines.

    Speaking with reporters after the turbines were delivered to Ikeji-Ile, Oshoniyi said they would be installed at the natural water flow from Ikeji-Ile hill top in Oriade Local Government Area.

    He said they would provide 24-hour electricity to communities connected to the mini hydro power generation.

    Oshoniyi said the turbines would create a conducive environment for businesses to grow.

    The Arakeji of Ikeji-Ile, Oba Adebayo Ogunmokun and the traditional ruler of Ira-Ikeji, Oba Oluropo Fatanmi, thanked the governor for responding to the needs of the people.

  • UNIDO unveils N31.8b year budget for Nigeria, others

    THE United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will spend $200 million (about N31.8 billion) to industrialise Nigeria and other African countries over the next six years, its Director-General,  Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, has said.

    A summit speaking out in Abuja, Yumkella said since 2008, the organisation has spent $100 million (about N15.9 billion) on the industrial sectors in Africa, adding that another $200 million (N31.8 billion) is in the pipeline.

    He said the organisation is working with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and the private sector to implement rice husk fuel plant project in Ebonyi, a $820,000 shoe factory in Delta State and mini-hydro power stations, among other projects across the country.

    He said the money would be spent on some of the organisation’s industrial projects, such as energy,tradecapacity building,  pharmaceutical manufacturing and the Accelerated Agribusiness and Agro-industries Development Initiative (ADI)

    Yemekella said: “There has been a significant increase in the number, types and quality of programmes that we have delivered in Africa. All of these activities fit within the overall framework for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA), formulated by the African Union Commission with UNIDO’s assistance, and endorsed at the 2008 Summit. We have worked with various commissioners to consolidate the economic pillars of AU’s Mandate.

    “We supported the AU to institutionalise the Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI). The Secretariats of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the governments of Egypt, South Africa and Algeria, provided significant political leadership and technical support to ensure that CAMI becomes a viable organ of the AU,” he added.

    He said the goal of the ADI is to have an agriculture sector in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that are expected to join the highly productive and profitable agricultural value chains by the year, 2020.

    Yumkella blamed the crisis in the power sector on inconsistent policy by previous administrations.

    He described government’s attitude to power problem as ad-hoc, without clear-cut strategy on how to provide lasting solutions to the problem.

    “When power supply goes off, we get the generator. We never sat down to ask where we want the nation to be in the next 20 to 25 years, how fast we want it to grow, how much jobs we want to create and what sectors of the economy we need to develop.

    “Instead of putting the generators on, you would have built the hydropower plant since Nigeria has a lot of water resources,” he said.

    He regretted that most hydropower projects embarked upon by the country were abandoned, while funds allocated for the projects were not accounted for.

    “We surveyed the water basins and started some hydro projects, they were never completed. Some were about 90 per cent completed, but were never turned on. Those dams could be used for irrigation and water supply in cities. So, you have to link energy access with the ambition of Governors to transform their states. We also need to convince the politicians that energy transformation is not a quick fix. It is a long-term strategy of 20 to 30 years,” he added.

     

  • UNIDO predicts real sector’s growth

    United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) report has disclosed that Nigeria and other developing and emerging economies enjoyed significant growth in the manufacturing sector in 2012, with prospects for more growth in 2013.

    A release by UNIDO noted that developing and emerging industrial economies in general maintained a strong rate of Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) growth in 2012, despite some deceleration in industrial production due to a decrease in demand for exports.

    According to the report, the growth rate of world manufacturing output remained low in 2012 due to the prolonged recession in industrialised countries and its negative impact on developing and emerging industrial economies.

    “Developing and emerging industrial economies’ combined share of world MVA in 2012 stood at 35 per cent.

    “World manufacturing output grew by 2.2 per cent in 2012, significantly lower than the 3.1 per cent projected midway through last year.

    “The world’s industrialised countries experienced particularly low MVA growth, with some dynamism in North America and East Asia was largely negated by the sustained recession in Europe. MVA of industrialised countries grew at an average rate of just 0.3 per cent in 2012,” the report stated.

    According to UNIDO, the global economic crisis beginning in 2009 has not only forced huge job cuts in the manufacturing sector of industrialised countries but has also pulled labour productivity down.

    It says net manufacturing output in the world’s eight major industrialised economies (G-8) has fallen by a much higher rate than the number of employees, reflecting the fact that many businesses retain a skeleton workforce even during periods when there are no or few orders for their products.

    “In the longer run, the industrialised countries’ share of world MVA will remain high, as economic progress will mean that more countries will be elevated into the group of industrialised economies,” the report says.

     

     

     

  • Why local products suffer international acceptance, by UNIDO

    Why local products suffer international acceptance, by UNIDO

    For the nation’s local products to gain international acceptance, it must comply with the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) agreements on Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) and Sanitory Phyto-Sanitory (SPS), the Country’s Representative, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, has said.

    He spoke during a National Awareness Seminar on the programme, organised by the Federal Ministry Trade and Investment in partnership with ECOWAS and UNIDO in Lagos.

    He said the measure, which when implemented through the West Africa Quality Programme (WAQP), will promote international trade and boost the country’s economy.

    Kormawa said: “Awareness on the WAQP is key to international trade because without trading Nigeria-made-products, the country cannot grow economically.

    ”The aim of the programme is to foster compliance with International Trade rules and regulations, in particular the World Trade Organisation agreements on Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) and Sanitory and Phyto-Sanitory (SPS) measures, through the establishment and strengthening of national and regional quality infrastructure for the entire West African region.”

    He identified poor product quality as a major challenge faced by member nations of ECOWAS when trading their products.

    ”We have to benchmark our food produce for the international market,” Kormawa added.

    Earlier, Chairman Steering Committee of WAQP, Dr. J. I. Odumodu said the awareness seminar on WAQP would improve quality of infrastructure in member states.

    Odumodu, who was represented by Mrs. Oluremi Ayeni, said it is aimed at making the nation’s exportable food-products acceptable in the European markets.

    National Technical Coordinator, NTC –WAQP, Dr. Joel Akinbolawa, said the programme specifically intervenes in five technical areas, namely: accreditation, testing, standardisation, inspection and quality management.

    The objective of the programme is to assist in the establishment of national and regional quality infrastructure and to contribute to greater regional market integration and increased participation of ECOWAS countries and Mauritania in international trade.

    “As key stakeholders in the promotion and provision of quality products and services, It is crucial to sanitize them on the activities and achievements of the WAQP for a better understanding of the issues, processes and services so as to enable their greater participation in the promotion and protection of consumers and market partners’ interests”

  • Manufacturing growth rate in Nigeria, others drop

    REPORT by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on manufacturing production in the second quarter of 2012 shows the growth rate of output in Nigeria and other developing countries has dropped to the lowest level since the beginning of 2011.

    According to UNIDO, while the manufacturing industry in developing economies largely resisted the effects of financial volatility during the recession of 2008–2009, the ongoing second recession of the world economy since 2010 has affected industrialised and developing countries.

    UNIDO predicts that the growth of manufacturing value added (MVA) in developing countries will slow to 4.5 per cent in 2012, down from 5.4 per cent in 2011.

    The report stated that among the industrialised countries, there were positive developments in North America and East Asia.

    “The MVA of North America is expected to grow by 1.7 per cent in 2012, while East Asia’s industrial production could grow by 4.1 per cent. However there are concerns that the impact of declining MVA in Europe may spill over to these regions.

    It added that the prolonged crisis in Europe and uncertainty about growth prospects in the U.S. have negatively affected industrial production in developing countries.

    It said the decline in demand in external markets has slowed the growth of export-oriented manufacturing industries in many developing countries, and, in some of them, domestic demand, too, has dropped due to the perceived growth uncertainty at the global level.

    The UNIDO report also presents growth estimates by manufacturing sector. Due to the decline in demand in industrialised countries, production growth of consumer goods, especially wearing apparel and consumer electronics, has slowed or declined in developing countries.