By Moses Nosike
Part of the solutions to the increasing rate of unemployment in the country is enabling environment to promote SMEs. Government’s attention had been drawn to this direction since it government cannot provide all the jobs for every citizen, there is need for self-employment to promote economic growth. Too, to rid the country of corruption, armed robbery menace and other social vices as a result of unemployment.
However, livestock business has been recommended by agriculturalists, consultants as the easiest means of self-employment that can enrich practitioners since it doesn’t require too much money to invest into it. This edition on livestock offers you the opportunity of learning how to invest into a small scale farming called fish farming. All over the world, agriculturalists are major promoters of any economy because they create job for themselves and also employ others. They are major suppliers of food products in their families and the society at large, thereby reducing hunger, poverty, unemployment etc.
In Nigeria today, a reliable research source has it that more than thirty million Nigerians are unemployed, this is more than the population in Ghana and other West African countries, even Lagos state.
On this premises, an agricultural consultant, practitioner, managing director, Juvana Farm……….. advises Nigerians to venture into fish farming. He said when you want to rear catfish farming, it requires low set_up capital and it grows rapidly within a short period thereby generating quick and high turnover. Modern fish farm does not need large expanse of land to succeed. If water and land/space like one room apartment is already available, then you don’t have problem starting this project. With the sum of N80,000 one can set up a small scale fish fingerling producing business. What one requires here is a hatching pond of (12ft by 4ft) that can be constructed into a shape of box by any experienced carpenter and plumber with 5 planks, nails and 3×2 woods then lay tarpaulin or thick water-proof material inside the box. Add clean water and start your hatchery activities.
However, if one prefers to go for Grow_out fish farming (raising fingerlings to table sized fish suitable for consumption), it will take about N300,000 to construct a standard concrete fish pond (16ft by 10ft) and stock it with 1,000 fingerlings and feed them till maturity (four to six months) depending on the fish species and age.
“It is advisable to buy fish juveniles of 18 weeks old than fingerlings of six to eight weeks. In addition, you don’t have to depend solely on expensive imported feed, since one can learn to produce local cheap feed.
“Catfish is very reproductive since six females and two males fish Broodstock can give you up to 20,000 fingerlings at a go. I have witnessed 32,700 at once in my farm, if you do not have a place to expand, you can start selling their babies (fingerlings) for N15 per one.
“An undergraduate or somebody who is unemployed can start with this amount and begin to make profits. If you buy them and rear for four to six months, you sell them and make more profits.
“At my farm, I sell fingerlings N15 while juveniles is N25 depending on the species of fish. If well managed, this specie can attain 2- 4kg in five months.
“Catfish is a popular and heavily demanded product. It is traditionally positioned as a semi-luxury product. Although relatively expensive, it is consumed by all classes of people. You don’t have to worry about marketing your catfish because presently in the country, the level of demand is higher than supply.
I found out that, our academics curricular is not structured to make us business conscious, that is why people don’t understand the concept of private enterprise. After school, it becomes difficult to queue into business ideas. This is the reason why many people are unemployed is because they believe that while in school jobs are waiting for them. It is no more like that today, you have to create jobs for yourself and others.
The aim of every fish farmer is to breed a fish to one kilogramme body weight or more in the shortest possible time, usually between four and six months if properly done. Unit price for table sized are broadly N550-N650 per kg at the farm gate, N800-950 at the retail outlet, and N1,300-N1,800 in restaurants depending on the size. One gets more profit if operates a market outlet to cut off shylock middlemen; I can assure prospective farmers that the profit expected from fish sales from experience is about 40 to 50 percent above what was invested.
According to him the challenges as is in every other business is that people find it difficult to get the fast growing specie of fish, but I am happy to tell you that in my Jovana Farms we have high quality fish fingerlings and Juveniles you can start your fish farming business with. This catfish specie is called HETERO-CLARIAS, I use Hetero-Branchus for crossing and they grow faster and heavier than any other catfish specie. Visit our website: www.jovanafarm.com to know more about fish production
The first challenge I’m faced with involve technicalities. What this means is that people need to go for proper practical training before venturing into the fish farming business. Some people who started the business without the right specie of fish or without practical training have already shut down for lack of appropriate training. They did it as a hobby, and at the end of the day, abandoned the business because of one mistake or the other.
Glo, FirstBank sign MoU on mobile money service
LAGOS— Two leading companies in telecom and banking sectors of the economy, Globacom Limited and First Bank of Nigeria Plc., have agreed to combine their strengths to provide seamless mobile money services to millions of Nigerians.Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the two companies, Thursday, in Lagos, the two companies promised to combine their strengths to provide secure, convenient and user-friendly mobile banking services to the unbanked through the use of mobile phones.
Mobile banking is the use of mobile phones to remotely access bank accounts, primarily for account inquiry, mobile transfer, retail payments, micro insurance, savings remittances, mobile top-up, utility bill payments and government collections, among others.
In his speech, Globacom’s Executive Director, Adewale Sangowawa, said that the network is proud to place its extensive reach and enormous power and strength behind this product, which will ensure quick, efficient and seamless transactions.
He said, ‘’Our platform, Glotxtcash, is the very first of its kind in Nigeria. It is a service that will ensure that people need not carry a wallet and a mobile phone at the same time anymore, and our desire is to make the service available to all Nigerians”. Sangowawa added that the partnership with First Bank will ensure that any subscriber on the Glo network will be catered for under the e-banking scheme.
Commenting on the initiative, FirstBank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, said mobile banking is hinged on three planks which are defined in terms of financial inclusion for the unbanked and the underbanked, person to person transaction in terms of sending and receiving money as well as retail payment for the purchase of goods and services.
He added that “With over 600 branches and thousands of business partner outlets in strategic proximity to the people, coupled with over 1,500 ATMs including cash deposit ATMs, cardless and biometric ATMs, over 5million active accounts and more than 1,200 Point of Sale terminals, FirstBank has always been at the forefront of innovative financial services solutions.
Oil and Gas issues: Dizeani’s defence
Ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Petroleum to reform the operations of the oil and gas sector took centre stage recently at the National Assembly when the Minister Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke defended the budget of the ministry before a joint hearing of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Upstream Petroleum, Downstream Petroleum and Gas. The assertions if carried to the letter may well underpin hopes of a more efficient and effective sector.
GIVEN the premium and pivotal role of petroleum products in the lives of Nigerians it was not strange that the Senators and members of the House of Representatives looked forward with great expectation to the great confrontation with Mrs. Mrs Diezani Alison- Madueke that Tuesday, February 2, 2012.
The minister’s appearance before the Senate and House joint committees on Upstream Petroleum, Downstream Petroleum and Gas was against mounting revelations of wanton corruption in the sector. The ongoing probe of the utilization of the fuel subsidy regime by the Rep. Farouk Lawan-led ad-hoc committee in the House of Representatives was just a fitting background to the distress that many of the legislators expected to challenge the minister during the joint budget defence hearing before the three committees.
Other outstanding issues include the fate of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and allegations of the shortfall in the transfer of proceeds from the sale of crude oil to the federation account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which is supervised by Mrs. Allison Madueke’s Ministry of Petroleum, the alleged secrecy in the NNPC’s accounting system among other negative hues that have characterized the operations of the oil sector.
The 2012 budget estimate defence of the ministry like other defence hearings before it, opened with a floodgate of queries, ranging from the untidiness of accounts to some out-right cases of profligacy. Senators in the joint committee particularly used the opportunity to push the minister to commence what they described as the urgent need to start reforms and total overhauling of the strategic oil and gas sector.
Pushed, Mrs. Allison-Madueke responded as she intimated the lawmakers on the ministry’s efforts at reforming and repositioning the sector, with the aim of making it more responsive, transparent and accountable to the people.
While presenting the budget estimate, the Minister told the lawmakers that the thrusts of 2012 activity plan are to sustain the gains of the past year as well as intensify efforts on the complete transformation of the Petroleum Industry and its parastatals as a whole, even as she presented a budget estimate of N59,664,912,140.00 for the ministry and its Agencies, representing a modest increase of 25% over and above 2011.
Of this amount, a total sum of N51,324,227,840.00 is earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N8,340,300.00 will be used to complete ongoing capital projects. The minister went out of her way to promise the lawmakers that she would ensure prudence in the implementation of the budget.
Responding specifically to issues of accountability and transparency raised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Upstream Petroleum, Senator Paulker Emmanuel, Mrs. Alison_Madueke disclosed her plans to carry out the process of reforms in the oil and gas sector.
To the minister, her invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the affairs of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the NNPC was an indication of her commitment towards accountability. While many have doubted her suitability in making the invitations given that she is at the head of the affairs of the two agencies, the minister was unbending in her pledges.
As a case of blowing one’s trumpet, the Minister told the lawmakers that a special PIB Task Force was set up to work with members of the National Assembly for the smooth passage of the PIB; which is the legal teeth to the oil and gas reforms, adding that the Task Force is headed by Senator Udo Udoma.
She further disclosed that as part of moves to sanitize the industry that a “Governance and Controls Task Force” was constituted by her on January 31, 2012 to immediately design a new governance code for the NNPC and other parastatals as well as eliminate rent-seeking opportunities and arbitrage while implementing robust performance management systems and indicators.
Mrs Diezani Alison- Madueke added that a Refineries Task Force has been set up to help accelerate the overhaul and Turn Around Maintenance of existing refineries. The task force is also to design a road map for self sufficiency in petroleum products refining in Nigeria, with a view to bringing down costs of petroleum products.
It would be recalled that the federal government had constituted a 22_man National Refineries Special Task Force. The taskforce was without prejudice to the on_going rehabilitation and Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries, as well as the building of Greenfield refineries in the country.
The task force, according to Allison-Madueke, is expected to make recommendations that will lead to the overhaul of refining operations and output in the country. It is being chaired by former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu while the former Managing Director of the former Unipetrol, Mallam Yusuf Alli will serve as its alternate chairman.
With representations from critical stakeholders in the industry including labour unions, the task force is to produce a diagnostic report on the operations, finances and efficiency of Nigeria’s four main refineries situated in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
This is besides the 21_man Petroleum Revenue Special Task force with former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as Chairman.
Given the administration’s long agenda Nigerians who have for long paid the price of the inefficiencies and the corruption in the sector can only but dream for a better day.
Nigeria yet to make productive use of its vast oil resources – UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), says Nigeria is yet to productively tap the full potentials of its vast oil resources, especially in addressing its social and economic needs. Dr Patrick Kormawa, the Country Representative of UNIDO in Nigeria, said this in Abuja.Kormawa noted that the over reliance on oil revenue had affected investments in other productive sectors of the economy, thereby creating serious economic and social dislocations in the country.
“We have always been convinced that the structure of both an economy and its manufacturing industry matter for growth and employment. Each developmental stage is characterised by different shares and contributions by the agriculture and industry or the textiles and automotive industries’’, he said.
He explained that the creation of new industrial capacity through the nurturing of hitherto non-existent manufacturing activities would lead to sectoral diversification. Such diversification, he added, would ensure deeper backward and forward linkage between sectors and industries, thereby facilitating the establishment of a more advanced and competitive industrial structure.
Kormawa also pointed out thatcollapse of the manufacturing industry from nine per cent to 2.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had also affected fundamental issues such as job creation.
He noted that countries with similar demographic and natural resource with Nigeria’s such as Egypt, Indonesia and Vietnam had generally increased the growth of manufacturing sector, thereby fast tracking their progress from low to high income economies.
“Nigeria’s share of food, textiles and vehicles is also far lower than the average share of these industries in all countries with an equivalent of 2,500 U.S Dollars per capita. Further, manufacturing industry’s share of medium and high technology activities has not changed much over the years and continues to account for 35.5 per cent’’, Kormawa said.
Retirement crisis hits NIMASA as Director resigns in anger
THE management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is currently in a quandary over the unexpected resignation of one its Directors, Barrister Boniface Igwe as a result of the retention of another Director (names withheld) who has retired and was paid off.Barrister Igwe, Vanguard gathered until his resignation about two weeks ago, was about the oldest director who still had about four years to go as director, but due to yet to be explained circumstances, the management of NIMASA decided to accept his letter..
Meanwhile, Igwe had threatened to sue NIMASA if his remaining allowances for four years are paid to him as at when due.
The embittered director told Vanguard that he had written to the Executive management concerning his case but the management decided not to take any action.
He stated that when he came into the then National Maritime Authority now NIMASA as a director, he was perceived as too young for that office and was subsequently demoted to the a deputy director and want to the process of promotion to become a director.
He further explained that he was made director in 2007 and from that period, his directorship ought to have ended in 2015.
The former director of Cabotage stated that instead of the management to look into his case, they remained adamant.
Speaking to Vanguard on the development, NIMASA spokesperson, Hajia Lami Tumaka said that Igwe was caught up with the eight years policy of Government.
She however stated that she is yet to get the details of his resignation from the administration department.
The eight years policy states that any director who has spent up to that period as director should automatically resigned.
It would be recalled that another director names withheld had reached the compulsory eight years as director, but instead of being to go, he was paid severance package and was still retained in the system.
Tongues are beginning to wag amongst the staff of the organization, they saying if the said director who served eight years could paid and retained, then management is setting a bad precedent.
Another era of cement surplus is here
By Franklin AlliFifty years after, there is a strong indication that the Nigerian economy is heading for an era of cement surplus and there would be left overs for the export market.
Facts on the ground lend credence to this optimism. With large quantities of the product available here, there and everywhere across the country, the price of the commodity will likely drop especially when supply outstrips demand.
Mr. Opakunle, the Plant Manager of II, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, said this is already happening in some parts of the country, especially the South-West, the Lafarge Group ‘s core market.
While the Lafarge Group in Nigeria comprises WAPCO, Ashaka in Gombe, Unicem, Calabar and Atlas, Port Harcourt, the South-West states are Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti including Edo and Delta State.
Opakunle affirmed that the country has started reaping the economic benefit of the Ewekoro II 2.5 million metric tonnes annual production capacity plants which was built at the cost of N80.5 billion (about 350 million Euro. The plant was officially commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan in December last year.
“In the past six months Ewekoro11 plant has flooded the South West, our core markets and beyond with more than 120,000 metric tonnes. A tonne of cement is 20 bags. “In terms of the total volume, we are pushing into the market 5,000 metric tonnes per week. This translates to over 20,000 tonnes per month and 120,000 tonnes from September 16 last year, till-date.
“At this period of the year the price of cement is skyrocketed as a result of scarcity of the commodity. But this is not the case this year. Today a 50kg bag that sold for N2, 200 and above now sells for N1, 600 in Lagos and beyond.
“For us, what is important is the availability of cement out there in the market. We are stepping up to increase it further. As I speak with you, we have the potential for over 40,000 tonnes of cement that we can ship to the market. What has happened in the past is that because of the scarcity of cement, distributors and retailers hike prices of the commodity. The advantage we are having now is that with the volume we are flooding into the market, it does not give room for people to play with the price.”
He attributed the success story being recorded to the efficient running of the kilns and the plants’ dedicated workforce. “I am happy to let you know that the plant is running 99.38 percent reliability. The efficient operation of the plant is more about the people that are running it and also about our knowledge of the equipment and our ability to master any problem that potentially comes up; and I am also happy that we are running like a plant that has been in operation for ten years.”.
NIM, NPA partner on capacity building
By GODWION ORITSETHE management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has concluded plans to partner with the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) for the development and sharpening of the Managerial skills of its personnel.
Giving this assurance in Lagos,Managing Director of the NPA Engr Suleiman Omar pledged that the Authority would this year increase its patronage of the executive cadre and other categories of training programmes of the institute for the personnel of the Authority.
According to the Managing Director with the current wave of concessioning of terminal operations in all the nations’ seaports, the Authority now places premium on the training and re-training of its personnel to cope with the challenges of the new dispensation.
While commending the performance of the NIM over the years, the Managing Director pointed out the achievements of the institute in the area of managerial training has made it formidable in the area of manpower development of all sectors of the nation’s economy.
Suleiman advised the Institute to expand its curriculum to include training in corporate governance for personnel in both the public and private sectors of the economy, to enable the citizenry know their responsibilities at the various levels of government.
Earlier, the President and Chairman of council of NIM Chief (Dr.) Michael Olawale-Cole had told the management of NPA that in its 50 years of existence the Institute has remained the single largest multi-disciplinary training and manpower development organisation in the country.
He said that the Institute is a replica of the British Institute of Management (BIM) which at inception was established with the purpose of training and developing high level indigenous managers preparatory to taking over from expatriates’ managers.
He however lamented that much has not been achieved in this regard 50 years after the establishment of the Institute, as the management cadre of most multi-national firms and companies in the country are dominated by expatriates.
In order to reverse this trend most urgently, Dr. Cole stated that the NIM has evolved training programmes tailored towards building capacity and achieving attitudinal change as well as character moulding for all categories of managers.
He urged the Nigerian Ports Authority to encourage its managerial cadre to join the institute’s membership to enable them benefit from both local and foreign courses of the institute and concluded by requesting the Management of the Authority to undertake the sponsorship of some of the institutes training programmes as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Highlight of the visit was the conferment of full membership of the institute on the Managing Director. Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole is the 18th President of the institute.
Nigeria still a spectator in N41bn global biotechnology industry -PSN President
By Chioma ObinnaThe Pharmaceuticals industry in the country currently contributes less than 5 percent to GDP (gross domestic product). In this interview, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Pharm. Azubuike Okwor, says despite the injection of N200 billion Pharmaceutical Development Fund by the Federal Government, Nigeria is but only a spectator in the 41 billion naira global biotechnology industry. Excerpts:
What is the state of the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria today?
The Pharmaceutical Industry is a very important sector in any nation’s economy, especially because of its capacity to ensure the health of the citizens and its contribution in wealth creation and reduction of poverty. The development of the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria has gone through a challenging evolution from the traditional infusion from a cocktail of leaves, roots and barks to small scale manufacture of tablets, syrup and recently sterile products. The industry has also done well given the environment that they have had to contend with in the last decade.
What is the industry’s contribution to the GDP, yearly?
The Nigerian manufacturing sector (including pharmaceuticals) is relatively small as reflected in its current contribution to the GDP which is below 5 percent. A recent survey by the Federal Ministry of Health highlighted major threats to the pharmaceutical sector including but not limited to, low capacity utilisation, poverty and related lack of purchasing power, high production cost, counterfeit and fake drugs, and failure of government to play the stewardship role.
The implication is our failure to take advantage of the opportunities created by the high demand for drugs used to treat the new pandemics of HIV&AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria across the developing world. In spite of the identified weaknesses, the industry has grown at an average annual rate of 10 percent over the last five years.
How about capacity utilisation in the industry?
The capacity utilisation for the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria is about 40 per cent and there is capacity for production of certain types of drugs to meet national needs for essential drug and for export. This explains why government has placed a ban on the importation of certain categories where we have enough capacity and expertise and also as a measure to protect local industries.
The local industry even at these installed capacity can only meet 25 per cent of local needs, most of the manufacturers produce liquid preparation tablets, capsules, ointments, lotion cream, ophthalmic preparation. The remaining 75 per cent which constitute the critical drug need represents the gaps products from other countries are filling. The good news is that we have crude oil which can provide the primary base for a new phase in our drug manufacturing initiative when harnessed.
What is your take on the N200 billion Pharmaceutical Development Fund?
We appreciate the 200 billion naira seed money for the pharmaceutical development and hope this will be followed with policies that seek to encourage manufacturing. The fund which is to be offered to manufacturers as a revolving loan at a reasonable interest rate will no doubt assist in boosting local capacity utilization and assist some companies to meet the requirement for World Health Organisation (WHO) pre qualification.
Another point that we need to quickly appreciate is that Nigeria is yet at the most rudimentary stage of our drug manufacturing initiatives. Nigeria is but only a spectator in the 41 billion naira global biotechnology industry. This should prompt government to quickly recognise the role of research and development as an important driver in the growth of the local pharmaceutical industry.
NIMASA DG assures of continuous training for dockworkers
By Godfrey Bivbere
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi has said that the agency will continue to train dockworkers operating in the nation’s ports in order to improve their productivity and the volume of cargo coming into the country.
Giving the assurance in Lagos at a training programme Monday, the NIMASA boss said that it is in line with the regulation of International Labout Oganisation (ILO) and International Labour Standards (ILS).
Akpobolokemi who was represented by the Executive Director in charge of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Ibrahim Zelani, pointed out that it is part of its mandate to train dockworker to ensure that they perform their duty in line with the new development in global cargo handling.
He noted that the second phase of the training programme will take care of 650 dockworkers and will hold in the port cities of Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and Lagos. The present programme he further disclosed is a continuing of the earlier one done in the past that took care of 900 dockworkers. The NIMASA helmsman assured that the programme will continue until 7,000 dockworkers operating in the nation’s ports have benefited.
He promised that the agency will increase it’s the funding for the programme from the 0.5 percent stevedoring earnings collected from the dockworkers employers. Speaking at the function, the agency’s Director in charge of Maritime labour Services, Alhaji A.I. Baba, said that a lot of changes have accord at the various terminals in the ports since they were concessioned.
Gambia solicit Nigeria’s support for PMAWCA top job
By GODWIN ORITSETHE Managing Director of the Gambia Port Authority last week visited management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, with a view to soliciting Nigeria’s support in the forthcoming election to the office of the Secretary General of Port Management Administration of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA).
Receiving the Gambian Ports managers, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) Engr. Omar Suleiman promised to support the candidature of the Gambia Port Authority elections.
Speaking at a reception for the 3-man delegation from The Port of Gambia, the Managing Director who was represented by the General Manager Special Duties, Mallam Abba Umar Rufai stated that NPA was ready to assist the Gambia Port Authority and her candidate wherever it is necessary.
Earlier in his speech, the leader of the Gambian delegation, Capt. Abdulrahman Bah who traced the history of good relationship between Nigeria and the Gambia especially between The Nigerian Ports Authority and The Gambia Port Authority, also commended the role of the Engr. Omar Suleiman in the sub-region.
According to him, the delegation was in Nigeria, to congratulate the Managing Director of NPA on his appointment, and for a successful performance in the last one year and secondly to present the Gambian candidate for the post of Secretary General of PMAWCA in the forthcoming elections Mr. Ousman Jobarteh.
According to Capt. Bah, the regional body needed the best hand to transform it from its present state. He added that they decided to come to Nigeria having been to Lome, Togo for the same purpose.
The Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) is an umbrella organisation of Port Authorities of Countries in the West and Central Africa region.
Other member of the delegation was Mrs. Naffi Macdovall who is the Director of Corporate Services and Business development, the Port of Banjul.
