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Tag: US envoy

  • Leverage agric to boost economic growth, US envoy urges govt

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, has advised the Federal Government to explore opportunities in agriculture and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to boost economic growth and development.

    Symington, who stated that many African countries were boosting their agric sector to benefit more from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), urged Nigeria not to be left out.

    AGOA is a preferential trade agreement between the US and some eligible sub-Saharan African countries that allows the exportation of certain agric products to the US market tariff and quota-free.

    The free-duty export programme essentially seeks to increase market access to Nigeria and 38 other eligible Sub-Saharan African countries to export about 7, 000 product lines to the US market.

    Symington spoke at the Annual Dinner and Presidential Inauguration of the 18th President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), Oluwatoyin Akomolafe, held in Lagos, during the week.

    He said lack of supportive environment for agriculture in Nigeria and Africa in general was responsible for why the continent’s agric products are not competitive.

    He, therefore, advised Nigeria and other African Governments to invest more in infrastructure in order to support their agricultural industries.

    The US Ambassador to Nigeria regretted that the country failed to manage her wealth of agric resources since the oil boom era, adding that the mismanagement of her oil resources also stifled economic growth and development.

    The US envoy reiterated the need to diversify Nigeria’s economy, noting that this will create more opportunities for NACC members to grow their businesses by exploring, exploiting and leveraging on the trade relations already established by Nigeria and the US.

    The Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, expressed concern over the low performance of the non-oil sector, noting that Nigerian businesses are not taking advantage of AGOA.

    He urged the Federal Government to put necessary measures in place to ensure that non-oil products from Nigeria were duly accepted in the US.

    Otudeko, however, described NACC as a major stakeholder in the bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and the US, noting, for instance, that the impressive trade volumes recorded so far could not have been achieved without the chamber’s efforts.

    Speaking during the inauguration, Akomolafe said that at the recent Africa Trade and Investment Global Summit and AGOA (ATIGS&AGOA) in Washington DC, there were discussions on how to create better opportunities for trade between the US and Nigerian companies.

    He noted that Nigeria’s current economic growth depended on the non-oil sector, particularly construction, telecommunications, wholesale/retail trade, hotel and restaurant services, manufacturing, and agriculture.

    The NACC president added that the best way for Nigeria to achieve economic growth is to create public, private partnership with US corporations.

    According to him, the development of the non-oil sector was imperative in view of unpredictable oil prices in the international market.

  • Leverage agric to boost economic growth, US envoy urges govt

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, has advised the Federal Government to explore opportunities in agriculture and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to boost economic growth and development.

    Symington, who stated that many African countries were boosting their agric sector to benefit more from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), urged Nigeria not to be left out.

    AGOA is a preferential trade agreement between the US and some eligible sub-Saharan African countries that allows the exportation of certain agric products to the US market tariff and quota-free.

    The free-duty export programme essentially seeks to increase market access to Nigeria and 38 other eligible Sub-Saharan African countries to export about 7, 000 product lines to the US market.

    Symington spoke at the Annual Dinner and Presidential Inauguration of the 18th President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), Oluwatoyin Akomolafe, held in Lagos, during the week.

    He said lack of supportive environment for agriculture in Nigeria and Africa in general was responsible for why the continent’s agric products are not competitive.

    He, therefore, advised Nigeria and other African Governments to invest more in infrastructure in order to support their agricultural industries.

    The US Ambassador to Nigeria regretted that the country failed to manage her wealth of agric resources since the oil boom era, adding that the mismanagement of her oil resources also stifled economic growth and development.

    The US envoy reiterated the need to diversify Nigeria’s economy, noting that this will create more opportunities for NACC members to grow their businesses by exploring, exploiting and leveraging on the trade relations already established by Nigeria and the US.

    The Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, expressed concern over the low performance of the non-oil sector, noting that Nigerian businesses are not taking advantage of AGOA.

    He urged the Federal Government to put necessary measures in place to ensure that non-oil products from Nigeria were duly accepted in the US.

    Otudeko, however, described NACC as a major stakeholder in the bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and the US, noting, for instance, that the impressive trade volumes recorded so far could not have been achieved without the chamber’s efforts.

    Speaking during the inauguration, Akomolafe said that at the recent Africa Trade and Investment Global Summit and AGOA (ATIGS&AGOA) in Washington DC, there were discussions on how to create better opportunities for trade between the US and Nigerian companies.

    He noted that Nigeria’s current economic growth depended on the non-oil sector, particularly construction, telecommunications, wholesale/retail trade, hotel and restaurant services, manufacturing, and agriculture.

    The NACC president added that the best way for Nigeria to achieve economic growth is to create public, private partnership with US corporations.

    According to him, the development of the non-oil sector was imperative in view of unpredictable oil prices in the international market.

  • US envoy for UNILORIN’s 34th convocation lecture

    The United States Ambassador in Nigeria, William Stuart Symington, will deliver this year’s Convocation Lecture at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) on October 22.

    Symington will speak on “Citizen leadership and the link between economic diversity and democratic good governance”.

    Activities to mark the 34th Convocation will start tomorrow with a Juma’at Service at the Unilorin Central Mosque.

    The University Registrar, Dr Folaranmi Modupe Olowoleni, who released the programme for the event, said the juma’at service will be followed by an Interdenominational Church Service on Sunday, October 14, at the Chapel of Light, the varsity’s Main Campus.

    The main events of the Convocation will kick off on Friday, next week with a briefing by the Vice-Chancellor; followed by the convocation play which will hold same day with the lecture (Monday); Convocation proper on October 23, and the institution’s Founder’s Day.

    Dignitaries expected at the event include: President Muhammadu Buhari; Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu; state governors, heads of education parastatals, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); Vice-Chancellors of various universities as well as traditional rulers and prominent individuals.

    The day would also feature the inauguration of about 26 projects completed by the university this year as well as a luncheon and merit awards for deserving workers.

    The programme would end with a Juma’at Service and Christian Thanksgiving Service on Friday, October 26 and Sunday, October 28.

     

  • US Envoy hails INEC decision on Osun election

    The Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Nigeria, Mr David Young, yesterday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the decision to conduct a supplementary election in Osun State, saying it would enhance democracy.

    Young made the remarks at an interactive session with reporters after he inaugurated Magvoile Vocational Centre in Kaduna.

    The deputy chief said the re-run would ensure that voters at the remaining seven polling units who were not able to vote on Saturday cast their votes.

    He said: “Certainly the decision of INEC to go ahead and have a supplementary election in seven polling unit is one that we respect, given the fact that there was only 353 vote margin between the two leading candidates.

    “Certainly this is a decision that make sense; we want to say that its important for democracy that every person vote is secret and counted as we go forward with the vote tomorrow.”

    Young who commended the people of Osun over last Saturday’s peaceful election, urged them to ensure same in the upcoming supplementary election.

    He also urged contestants to accept the outcome of the election without rancour, in accordance with democratic norms.

    “We want to urge the victor to be magnanimous in victory and whoever loses to be gracious in defeat, this is part of democracy.”

  • We are committed to Nigerian economic development, says US envoy

    United States’activities in Nigeria are aimed at ensuring the well being of Nigerians by supporting initiatives that promote Nigerian economic development and good governance.

    The Consul-General of the US Consulate in Lagos, Mr John Bray, said US’s main objective in Nigeria is to support the national aspiration for the development of the country.

    Bray spoke at the graduation for Fellows of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI).

    “Our objective at the US Consulate General in Lagos is to support efforts that address Nigerian issues, particularly economic development, access to health care, peace and security and transparency and good governance,” Bray said.

    He noted that the US Consulate- General launched the CYFI in 2011 with the goal of bringing together  youths to design and implement projects focused on societal innovation.

    He pointed out that the CYFI projects from last year had been  inspiring as participants taught indigent youths to farm, develop the next generation of young female coders, improved the health of women by promoting early detection of cervical cancer and taught young men that they can speak out about their abuse at the hands of adults.

     

     

     

     

    “You have laid strong foundations for future work. These are meaningful, impactful projects and I look forward to seeing where these initiatives go from here,” Bray said.

    He added that the diversity of the participants and issues addressed underscored CYFI programme as an incredibly valuable programme that allows some of the most promising young people in Nigeria who are passionate about national developmental issues to affect real, positive change.

    He urged Nigerian youth to remain committed and passionate to societal innovation and change in the society, even in the face of obstacles.

    “As you’ve learned this year, you can run into all kinds of challenges in the course of implementing real and meaningful change. I hope that the successes you have had this year have shown you that the importance and impact of your efforts far outweigh the trials and tribulations you sometimes face in the course of enacting this change,” Bray said.

    CYFI Fellows bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the table, and share a common vision with the goal of positively impacting Nigerian society. The 2017 Fellows came from diverse academic and professional backgrounds in the fields of public health, medicine, tech, journalism, law, agriculture, and finance.  CYFI projects center around broader themes championed by Ambassador Walter Carrington, for whom the initiative is named.

     

  • US envoy backs Ortom on ranching

    •’Declare herdsmen’s attacks as terrorists’ acts’

    Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom’s advocacy for the establishment of ranches for cattle rearing, yesterday received the support of the United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington.

    The envoy, who visited Governor Ortom at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, said if cattle were properly reared in ranches, instead of open grazing, Nigeria could be one of the highest income earners from milk production.

    He said: “I come from a family of farmers and part of my family used to move cattle from one state called Colorado to another state called Texas every year and over time they changed until now the cow business that they do is very much one that takes advantage of the land and we have to move them on trucks.

    “I had a great conversation the other day just outside the city of Jos with one of the great milk producers of the world, a company that produces milk. And I talked to the guy and he was mentioning to me that the milk that comes from the Fulani cattle can be incorporated into the great milk produced here. Literally the future of the nation could be rich when the milk of those herders get fed to the sons and daughters of families and their vegetables get fed to the sons and daughters of the herders. I am happy that you are thinking in this direction Mr. Governor.”

    Ortom thanked the ambassador for the visit and solicited the assistance of the United States in the realisation of the move for ranches across the country, saying it was one reliable way of guaranteeing peace.

    He said: “Let me on behalf of the government and people of Benue State welcome you to the presidential wing of the Benue Peoples House. I appreciate your visit. We were glad when we learnt you are coming to visit us because we look up to America for a lot of things. Today the presidential system of government we practise, we borrowed it from America.

    “I have been advocating ranching, I know America for the rearing of cattle instead of the grazing we have in Nigeria today. Because of the shortage of land, the issue of grazing has become a major security challenge, especially in my state. Frequently, there are clashes between farmers and herdsmen because the land is not there and my people are mostly farmers, so they find herdsmen encroaching and trespassing on farmlands, thus destroying their crops and when they are confronted, it will become a fight and we have lost so much.

    “I have been calling for the establishment of ranches just like it is done in America. Most of us hope that our government at the federal and state levels will come together and find a solution because this crisis is not only peculiar to Benue State. There are other states too that are affected. But to me, I see that ranching as it is done in America, can solve the problem permanently because the land is not increasing, but the population is increasing.

    “When there were grazing routes in the 50s, the total population of Nigeria was less than 40 million. Today, by the 2012 projection, we are over a 170 million and by 2019, I am sure we will be hitting 200 million. So it is a big challenge. While we want to support the herdsmen to graze and rear cattle, it should not be at the detriment of lives and property of our people. So you are welcome.”

    Ortom highlighted other areas of collaboration between Benue State government and the United States.

    He said: “America has been supporting us in several ways. USAID has been of great assistance to my government. Before I assumed office, they were about leaving the state, but I invited them to return for a dialogue and since then, they have been of tremendous help to us.”

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the United Nations (UN) Security Council and its members to declare the continued killings of the people and destruction of property by herdsmen as a terrorists’ act.

    SERAP in a letter, urged the UN to hold a special session on Nigeria and visit the country to press the authorities to end killings and destruction of property by suspected herdsmen, particularly in Northcentral.

    It asked the UN to “treat the atrocities by herdsmen as terrorists’ acts, in line with the UN Security Council resolution 2349 (2017), which addresses Boko Haram’s presence in the Lake Chad Basin and calls on states to combat all forms and manifestations of terrorism.

    The group said declaring attacks by herdsmen as terrorists’ acts would help make the authorities to address the threats posed by herdsmen and combat crimes against humanity being committed against Nigerians.

    In the letter dated March 16, 2018 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director Timothy Adewale, the organisation expressed concern that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration failed to uphold its responsibility to protect the citizens from atrocities by the herdsmen, which if not urgently addressed, would pose threats to regional peace and security, and by extension, international peace and security.

     

     

  • Insecurity scares American investors, says US envoy

    The United States Consul General, John F. Bray has identified security challenge as the major issue hindering American investors from coming to Nigeria.

    He said herdsmen/farmers clashes, the Boko Haram insurgency, vandalism, kidnapping and hostage taking among others, are among security challenges that negatively impact on the choice of Nigeria as an investment destinations.

    Bray spoke yesterday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)  Business Dialogue Session at Victoria Island, where presentations were made by chief security operatives.

    He said security attacks usually send panic waves, not just to American companies, but potential international investors, pointing out that despite the challenges, many American firms are still operating in the country.

    The envoy said while some companies just walked away, others carefully access the reality of the situation and create a local security plan to mitigate the potential risks- an initiative he said uncovers new opportunities for partnership in the country.

    “As an example, the American West African Agro came to Nigeria to sell irrigation equipment. What they did was to build an inclusive business. They developed schemes that created multiplier effects down the value chain. They paid attention to local content and today they are spread across the vast territory of fields of farmers and their equipment secured because the local communities see the value added and protect it,” Bray said.

    He stated that the US-Nigeria Commercial Investment Dialogue, will shortly begin discussions to address challenges by identifying the major impediments to doing business in Nigeria and proffering public and private sector solutions to them.

    Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen TY Buratai, who was represented  at the event by the  General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigeria Army, Maj Gen Enebong Udo, said  the Nigerian Army has continued to develop a mix of capabilities that can counter a wide spectrum of the threats facing the nation.

    The challenges of cattle rustling, herdsmen and farmers clashes and kidnapping in some Northern states and the Middle Belt, he said, were currently being tackled through the conduct of Operation MESA in all the states in the country.

    He said the challenges of increased militancy, pipeline vandalism and kidnapping in the Southern part of the country have also been accorded appropriate attention, saying that Commanders have been directed to ensure that healthy relationships are maintained with other agencies through the efforts of joint training, informal and formal contacts, as well as social interactions to deepen collaboration.

    “It is also for this reason that formations and units have been encouraged to maintain a civil-military relations desk to address the incessant complaints of human rights violations that may be raised against own troops by both the international and local communities,” he said.

  • US Envoy holds roundtable with religious leaders fighting corruption

    Acting United States Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs Amy Lillis held a roundtable discussion on Thursday with members of the Religious Leaders Anti-Corruption (RLAC) working group.

    The Religious Leaders Anti-Corruption (RLAC) working group was formed in 2016 by Muslim and Christian religious leaders with the primary goal of addressing how faith communities could take a leading role in anticorruption advocacy in Nigeria. The group has since developed partnerships with leading anti-corruption voices in civil society in order to fight corruption at all levels in Nigeria.

    During the meeting, Special Representative Lillis pledged the U.S. government’s continued support to the religious leaders as they work to find lasting solutions to stamp out the scourge of corruption.

    “The moral standing of religious leaders, and the capacity of religious institutions to reach a broad cross-section of Nigerian society, make RLAC’s work essential to the future of anticorruption advocacy,” Special Representative Lillis said.  ”It is my pleasure to be here to support this next stage of the Religious Leaders Anti-Corruption working group. Religious leaders are an essential component of the multi-faceted fight against corruption in this country.”

    She explained that working against corruption is essential to many of the priorities of both the U.S. government and the religious leaders, including constructing peaceful, secure societies, and promoting prosperity.

    At the event, the religious leaders discussed additional innovative options for bringing the principles of anti-corruption to the grassroots. They resolved to disseminate anti-corruption message through media outlets, sermons, and train-the-trainer workshops.

    The Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs was established in 2013 to strengthen the U.S. government’s efforts to assess religious dynamics and engage religious actors across a wide range of foreign policy priorities.

  • US envoy: we are ready to partner Nigeria

    US envoy: we are ready to partner Nigeria

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Symington W. Stuart, has said America is ready to partner relevant institutions to move the country forward.
    He spoke when he visited the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, at his Iga Idunganran Palace in Lagos.
    Symington asked questions on the increasing population, challenges of young people and how they will cope with the future. He also sought to know if there were agricultural opportunities to be harnessed.
    He thanked Nigerians for their prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari’s safe return and called for continued support for the government, adding that recession is not peculiar to Nigeria.
    The envoy called for family planning as a way to cope with the growing population.
    “I love the traditions and history of Nigeria. What makes Nigeria great is not in its oil or forests but the people.
    “A day will come when the world will come on tourism, and visitors seeking to know your past. Many will come on pilgrimage to see these 600- year-old houses, architectural splendours and documents of yesteryears.
    “Forty to 50 years from now, you will see these are sources of interest and employment will be created from tourism.
    “What I have learnt today will stay with me for a long time. The first thing I learnt is how old this house is and how young the Oba’s vision of the future is on education and creation of opportunity. These are things that matter most to Nigerians.”
    Oba Akiolu, in his reaction, said: “Now that we have a serious government, don’t be a rubber stamp but give them constructive suggestions
    “US should ensure there is peaceful coexistence and anything their country can do to ensure democracy lasts, they should do it genuinely.”

  • Sultan a stabilising factor, says US envoy

    Sultan a stabilising factor, says US envoy

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, has described the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, as a formidable stabilising factor in Nigeria.
    Symington spoke in Sokoto when he visited the Sultan in his palace yesterday.
    He said: “US is happy with the role the sultan is playing in ensuring sustainable peace and unity in Nigeria, and even beyond.
    “The Sultan is a father to Nigerians and he is worthy of emulation by Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike. This visit is to appreciate his role in bolstering security in the country.”
    Sultan Abubakar hailed Symington for the visit. He promised to work closely with him to further cement the existing bond between the two countries.
    The monarch assured Symington that other parts of Nigeria are as secure as Sokoto, promising to continue to work selflessly to move the country, Africa and the world forward.