Author: Isah Mukhtar

NAN-AE-1

Disbursement

Abuja, Nov.2, 2017 (NAN) The World Bank says the disbursement of $50 million for the livelihood and food support programme under the Fadama III second Additional Financing (AFII) will end in first quarter of 2018.

Engr. Ibrahim Alkali, Project Desk Officer for Fadama III AFII, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Alkali said that the bank had disbursed up to 75 per cent of the fund so far and hoped to achieve 100 per cent distribution it by the end of the first quarter of next year.

NAN report the Fadama III AFII is the World Bank intervention to support and ensure food security and better livelihood for citizens in the affected areas through Fadama development projects.

The programme commenced on March 1, 2016 with the disbursement of $50 million project fund to benefiting states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe.

He said: “the project has been performing wonderfully well. By all rating, Fadama AFII has been performing very well in the north east compared to other World Bank project in the region.

“Fadama AFII was the only project that its disbursement reached out to the beneficiaries in the six states of the region within a short period.

“We are able to reach out to 24,000 beneficiaries that we are targeting and able to make some savings. Hopefully before end of the year, we are going to reach out to 30,000 households.

“We actually appreciate our effort so far in the region and the performance is based on the caliber of staff that we have and their experience help in the disbursement.

The desk officer said that Fadama III AFII leveraged on the existing Fadama III structure which made it easy for it to reach out to targeted beneficiaries within a short time.

“I am satisfied with our performance because looking at the structure and the experience on ground we are hoping that we will partner with other projects or donors that have similar objectives as ours.

“It will be easy for us to reach out to those that are in need, the Internal Displayed Persons (IDPs), in terms of restoring their livelihood and support to restore their lives generally.

“We believe that what we are doing is going to be complementary and add value to what the Federal Government is going to do in the north east,’’ he added. (NAN)

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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Ejike Obeta

Remittance: Airlines to be fully automated by Dec., says NCAA
NAN-H-33
Airlines
By Solomon Asowata
Lagos, Nov. 2, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), says all domestic airlines are to computerise their remittances of five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charges (TSC/CSC) by December.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Lagos that the authority only suspended its Jan. 31 ultimatum issued to the airlines on its implementation.

NAN reports that the five per cent TSC/CSC are revenue accruable to the aviation agencies through NCAA as contained in Part V Section 12(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006.

The section mandates the airlines to collect the charges paid by the passengers on behalf of NCAA and remit same appropriately and in real time.

Adurogboye explained that the airlines, under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had earlier opposed the introduction of the Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) for revenue collection.

He said: “What happened was that a committee was set up by the Director General of NCAA, Capt. Mukhtar Usman and they held series of meetings with the operators over its implementation.

“Following these meetings, most of the airlines have automated their payment systems and we have about three remaining.

“We are, however expecting all of them to key into the process by December.”

Adurogboye also noted that some of the airlines had been resolving the issue of their indebtedness to the aviation agencies.

He said: “for now, most of them are remitting the five per cent TSC/CSC as at when due.

“Some have also been working on how to clear the old debts and we are hoping that everything will soon be resolved.” (NAN)
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Ekemini Ladejobi

NAN-H-32
NCAA
By Solomon Asowata
Lagos, Nov. 2, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on domestic airlines yet to fully automate their remittance of the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charges (TSC/CSC) do so by December.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

He said that the authority only suspended its Jan. 31 ultimatum issued to the airlines on the implementation of the remittance.

NAN reports that the five per cent TSC/CSC is the revenue accruable to the aviation agencies through NCAA as contained in Part V Section 12(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006.

The section mandates the airlines to collect the charges paid by the passengers on behalf of NCAA and remit same appropriately and in real time.

Adurogboye explained that the airlines, under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had earlier opposed the introduction of the Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) for revenue collection.

He said: “What happened was that a committee was set up by the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman and it held series of meetings with the operators over its implementation.

“Following these meetings, most of the airlines have automated their payment systems and we have about three remaining.

“We are, however, expecting all of them to key into the process by December,” he said.

Adurogboye also noted that some of the airlines had been resolving the issue of their indebtedness to the aviation agencies.

 “For now, most of them are remitting the five per cent TSC/CSC as at when due.

“Some have also been working on how to clear the old debts and we are hoping that everything will soon be resolved.” (NAN)
ASO/ENN/DUA
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Dada Ahmed

NAN-AE-3
Training
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Nov.1, 2017 (NAN) The FADAMA III Second Additional Financing (AFII) programme is training 27 officers on the use of flexible accounting 200+ software for effective recordkeeping and information management in the project.

Mr Robert Udeh, the Training Manager, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the training would aid efforts to compute all transactions of the project effectively.

Udeh, who is also the System Analyst of Tokuns International Limited, said: “We are software developers; the training is on financial management system, using the flexible account software.

“The FADAMA III project workers would be trained for effective delivery of the project

“We are here to train them on the use of the software because they have to produce regular reports on the funds they received from World Bank.

“They also have to give an account of how the money they received has been spent, in line with the goals of the project.

“We are basically interested in the accounting part of the FADAMA programme.

“We are to train the officers on how to use the software to produce reliable reports on transactions and on how to generate reports for submission to the World Bank,’’ he said.

One of the trainees, Mrs Regina Festus, State Project Coordinator of FADAMA in Taraba, said that the training would facilitate the work of accountants in keeping record of expenses incurred in the project, while reducing the stress involved in paper work.

“The training will help us to reduce the process of sending files from the state offices to the headquarters and its attendant risk of documents missing in transit.

“Things will be easier now, as we will start using the software to prepare our reports; the headquarters can verify if those things we are doing are right or not and they can also make corrections when necessary.

“The training is very good and timely for us. It will help us to be time-conscious and we will not lag behind in the submission of reports.

“It will also help to increase our disbursements; it will help us to do everything accurately, particularly with regard to checking and balancing our records,’’ she said.

Festus said that she would transfer the knowledge she gained in the training to her colleagues in the state in order to promote accuracy in all the workers’ assignments.

Mrs Gyatam Bassi, Accountant, Adamawa State Project Office, said that the training was to facilitate the installation of account software in their accounting systems, in the designed efforts to improve their service delivery.

“ The training has been good and educative; the facilitator and resource persons are doing well to keep us onboard.

“The training is going to help us to migrate from manual to electronic accounting processes; it is going to make things faster, we will be able to generate accurate and reliable reports that will be useful in the project,’’ she said.

Besides, Mr Amams Audu, Accountant, Taraba State Project Office, said that the training would aid the success of the FADAMA project.

“The software facilitates accurate keeping of accounting records and data generation as and when due; it is so good for the project.

“The resource persons are so wonderful; they trained us on the rudiments of the software, beginning from the aspect of logging into the software, downloading data into the software and generating reports from the software.

“It is going help us to generate timely reports as and when due and by the time we finish the training, issues relating to non-regular and incorrect reports will no longer be tenable.

“Once you key into the software, you get everything you require — all kinds of report that you need — and you get them on a timely basis,’’ he added. (NAN)
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Nigeria imports $125m fishery products from Norway annually – Ambassador

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Norway
By Victor Asije
Lagos, Oct. 30, 2017 (NAN) The Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Kjemprud Jens-Petter, says Nigeria imports fishery products worth 125 million dollars (N45 billion) from his country annually.
Jens-Petter told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the fishery imports from Norway included stock fish, mackerel and salmon.
“Annually, Norwegian fish exports to Nigeria stand at 125 million dollars and these include
stock fish, pelagic fish, mainly mackerel and salmon.
“We are interested in expanding our market access and consider the upper market salmon to have further potential.
“ Ideally we believe it would be possible to double our exports considering the huge Nigerian market and the current recovery of the Nigerian economy,’’ he said.
He said that the Nigerian-Norwegian Chamber of
Commerce (NNCC) was working with his embassy to attract Norwegian investment and cooperation for the development of Nigeria’s
fishery industry.
The Norwegian envoy said that his home government, through its organisation,
Innovation Norway, was prepared to support and share technical expertise with Nigerian fishing companies in boosting local fish production.
He said that the Norwegian government was also interested in the development and exportation of Nigerian seafood to Norway.
Jens-Petter said that NNCC and Norwegian fish exporters and aquaculture companies have exchanged visits on how Nigeria could also achieve bumper fish production locally. (NAN)
AVU/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-36
Workers
By Kola Adeyemi
Lokoja, Oct. 29, 2017 ( NAN) A socio-cultural group — the Movement For the Emancipation of Kogi People  — has slammed some youths in the state for allegedly blocking the delivery of relief materials including food to the striking state civil servants.

The group described the action of the youths as misguided and wicked in a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Yakubu Asipita and the Secretary, Mr Bodunrin Olufemi, on Sunday in Lokoja.

“It is shameful for paid jobless youths to carry out such a disgraceful act of trying to prevent relief materials meant for the striking workers from entering the state,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some youths on Oct. 27 reportedly laid an ambush on Lokoja-Abuja highway in an attempt to hijack bags of rice donated by some senators to the striking workers.

Also, a director in the State Teaching Service Commission, who was owed about nine months salary, had committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital about two weeks ago.

The group expressed concern over alleged refusal of the state government to enter into dialogue with the organized Labour over the ongoing industrial dispute, saying “it is very disturbing.”

The group commended the senators and other well-meaning Nigerians within and outside the state for coming to the aid of the workers by donating bags of rice and other relief materials to them.

It called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the crisis between the workers and the state government without further delay.

It appealed to the organized labour and the striking workers to consider the “poor masses who have been at the receiving end of the month-long strike by making themselves available for dialogue anytime the government is ready.” ( NAN)
KKA/DA

(Editing by Dele Akinsola)

NAN-AE-5
Revolution
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct.25,  2017 (NAN) Comprehensive Local Agricultural Plan (C-LAP) has unveiled its blueprint for agricultural revolution in the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Nigeria to boost farmers’ assess to facilities that aid agricultural production.

Dr Tanay Joshi, C-LAP Organising Secretary, unveiled the project at the first Annual International Seminar on C-LAP, organised by Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) on Thursday in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that C-LAP is an integrated and participatory action plan formulated for the development of agriculture and allied sectors in the LGAs.

Joshi said that the project would add value to Nigeria’s agricultural raw materials, while integrating the country in the global agricultural markets.

He said that ALGON had initiated the planning processes of the project in the council areas across the country, with an emphasis on public- private sector participation and partnerships.

“The main thrust of the experts and policy makers of C-LAP is to consider agricultural growth as a tool for poverty reduction and the need to diversify agricultural production on the basis of geographical locations and commercialisation of agro-products.

“This plan will also create business opportunities for franchise operators, jobs for the youth and reduce wastage of agricultural produce, as there is a defined retail network to absorb production.

“It will empower farmers and agripreneurs through self-employment as an option for generating additional income and boosting full-fledged livelihood sustainability.

“C-LAP will create opportunities for private investors to invest in food chains and the business can be taken to the capital market in three to four years to make the local government a financially viable tier of government,’’ he said.

Joshi said that the bottom-up approach, which C-LAP adopted, was to eliminate hunger through agriculture policy reforms and initiatives that would assist small-scale farmers to achieve sustainable food production.

“C-LAP will be implemented in the 774 LGAs of Nigeria over an initial five-year period and under this project, the component of food security and livelihood enhancement has been given top priority.

“The project will intervene in all areas of agriculture in order to combat poverty and improve livelihoods across Nigeria and promote the nation’s food security.

“C-LAP will also improve access to markets through innovative value chain interventions, provision of technical services and physical infrastructure for improved market access.

“This innovative approach will involve the development of new technologies, market linkages, skills and products as well as the promotion of physical infrastructure for improved markets and sales,’’ he said.

Mr Itiako Ikpokpo, former Deputy National President of ALGON and current Delta State ALGON Chairman, said that the outgoing National Executive Council of ALGON initiated the programme to develop agriculture in the 774 LGAs.

“When C-LAP approached us and said it wanted to create an integrated plan to develop agriculture in all 774 LGAs; we felt it was wise and we accepted it.

“The project, apart from boosting food security, it will also create employment; we, therefore, decided to participate in it. We are sure that this programme will be particularly beneficial to the people in the rural areas.

“C-LAP is going to be an effective programme because its foundation is good and this has made us to key into it.

“We expect every local government chairman in the country to understand that his people need employment, stable income and food.

“Ours is to create a platform to facilitate the achievement of this expectation and this is what we have done.

“We have brought in people who want to develop agriculture, mechanise agriculture and bring agriculture to our doorstep; and we have done that for the benefit of our people,’’ he said. (NAN)
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NAN-AE-11
Exporters
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 25, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) has urged exporters of yam and other agricultural produce to always contact the service to forestall crop rejection in the international market and national embarrassments.

Mr Vincent Isagbe, the Coordinating Director of NAQS, gave the advice in Abuja on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen on Nigeria’s yam export initiative.

Isagbe said that produce exporters who contacted NAQS, prior to their export processes, had always succeeded, adding the measures put in place by the service were stringent but satisfying and rewarding.

“If NAQS is involved in the export process of any agricultural produce, from beginning to the end, the exporters might not encounter issues of crop rejection or spoilage abroad.

“We inspect the yams from selections and give necessary guidelines on where the exporter would keep the yams to guard against worms, nematodes, while the yams must not be kept in wet areas.

“The cooling containers that will carry the yams must be functioning to avoid spoilage.

“ABX World recently exported yams, sweet potatoes, okra to Europe and the produce export was completely carried out under NAQS inspection and certification,’’ he said.

Isagbe said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had duly sensitised farmers and exporters to the need to “look at the bigger picture as Nigerians and to take our destiny in our hands.

“The ministry has constituted an inter-ministerial committee on zero reject of our non-oil exports and all its members are from ministries involved in the quality and standardisation of the country’s products.

“The committee was set up to promote public awareness of the role of standards and certification as a prerequisite for profitable food exports,’’ he said.

The coordinating director said that recent media reports regarding the rejection of some Nigerian yams abroad were false; adding that the yam export initiative was successful, as the little challenges encountered in it were purely logistic.

He said that the Federal Government was very committed to ensuring the success of the initiative because Nigeria, as the largest producer of yams in the world, should have a capacity for yam exports.

“The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the committee have emphasised global best practices, while engaging world-class experts, international organisations and leveraging the strength in indigenous knowledge.

“ They support investments in relevant infrastructure and facilities as well as the revival of the abandoned yam conditioning centres in Ekiti and Nassarawa states and the construction of new ones.

“Nigeria has developed heap-making machine for yams to boost production and encourage the youth to engage in yam cultivation.

“Some of private sector organisations in Lagos State have started the production of value added derivatives like frozen yam chips and yam flour (elubo and poundo).

“We appeal to Nigerians, in the spirit of patriotism, to see the silver lining around the cloud, in the wake of the recent misinformation about yam exports,’’ Isagbe said. (NAN)
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NAN-H-58
Inmates
By Raji Rasak
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2017 (NAN) A total of 27 inmates of Kirikiri Minimum Prison were set free in Lagos on Wednesday after some kind-hearted Nigerians contributed N850,000 to pay their fines.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inmates were sentenced for minor offences with options of fine before regaining their freedom.
NAN reports that the release of the inmates was facilitated by a banker, Pastor Bayo Adeyinka, and a musician, Yinka Lawanson, also known as Lamboginny.
Adeyinka said that he was moved to tears when he visited Kirikiri Prison on Oct.12.
“During a concert held at the prison on Oct. 12, I realised that there are many young inmates who are serving different sentences due to the fact that they can’t pay their fines.
“As I was praying for the inmates, I saw a black Maria bringing in another set of inmates.
“These are young boys caught for street trading or wandering but because they cannot afford to pay the fines, they are sentenced to different terms.
“From the officials of the prison, we heard that if we have money we can secure the release of inmates who have option of fine.
“Through my social media network, I sent messages out that we needed about N830,000 to facilitate the release of inmates.
“To my surprise within 24 hours, I have realised about N850,000 through different donors who have sympathy for the inmates; that’s why we are here to secure their release,” Adeyinka said.
Lamboginny also told NAN that the idea of facilitating the release came during his Oct. 12 musical concert at the prison.
“During the concert, the pastor of my church came to pray for the inmates and we discovered that the prison was so congested.
“After the concert we discussed with some officials of the prison on ways to help the inmates.
“It was then that we realised that some of the inmates cannot pay their fines and that is why they are serving their term,” the musician said.
Releasing the 27 inmates, the representative of the Controller of Prison, who did not disclose his name, appealed to the freed inmates to be of good behaviour as they regained freedom.
She appealed to them to stay away from crime and always be in possession of their identity cards.
One of inmates who regained freedom, Aliu Mustapha, thanked all those who secured their release from prison for the gesture.
Mustapha said he was arrested by the police for wandering and sentenced to six months imprisonment or pay N50,000 fine.
He said he had spent 45 days in the prison before his release.
NAN reports that each of the freed inmates received N4000 from the facilitators to transport themselves back home. (NAN)
ROR/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

German chambers partner Access Bank in supporting Nigerian companies
NAN-HE-4
Support
By Victor Asije
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2017 (NAN) Economic relations between Nigeria and Germany received a boost in Lagos on Wednesday with the inauguration of the first German financial support and solutions desk for companies in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the desk was initiated by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry in partnership with Access Bank.
Mr Andreas Wenzel, the chamber’s Economic Relations Director for Africa, said the desk, which was already operating in Peru and Kenya, would help facilitate business transactions between German and Nigerian companies.
“We do know that Nigeria is the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. And for German’s investment in West Africa, it is crucial for us to provide financial support and solutions for Nigerian companies.
“The German-Nigerian Financial Support and Solutions Desk would definitely fill the gap in terms of finding solutions to specific small and medium size companies’ financial needs, irrespective of their partners.
“We are really prepared to assist Nigerian businesses to do more businesses with different German companies through this desk,’’ he said.
Wenzel said that the desk would enable companies gain more access to financial support solutions via point of contact that combines Access Bank products and services.
According to him, the services include the setting up of a bank account through trade finance products for local companies wishing to acquire German equipment.
He said Nigerian companies would also be assisted in the process of preparing foreign direct investments in Nigeria from the combined network of Access Bank and German chambers of business.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Managing Director of Access Bank, Dr Herbert Wigwe, said that the bank would liaise between German and Nigerian companies.
“We are going to be serving as a financial intermediary between German companies and Nigeria based enterprises.
“We are also going to help hand-hold German companies, who do not want to come to do business in Nigeria to happily come in and do businesses with Nigerians and in Nigeria,’’ he said.
According to him, the desk would be of benefit to Nigerians, especially now that the country was coming out of recession.
Wigwe also said that the desk would further strengthen the long existing relations between Nigeria and Germany in the years ahead.
“We hope to henceforth alter the narratives that have always been about Nigeria and Germany’s business relations,” Wigwe said. (NAN)
AVU/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)